AN    ADMIRAL'S    LOG 


REAR-ADMIRAL   ROBLEY    D.    EVANS. 


AN  ADMIRAL'S   LOG 

Being  Continued  Recollections 
of  Naval  Life 


By 

ROBLEY  D.  EVANS 

Rear- Admiral,  U.  S.  N.,  Author  of 
"  A  Sailor's  Log'' 


ILLUSTRATED 


New  York  and  London 

D.  Appleton  and  Company 

1910 


COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


Copyright,  1908,  1909,  by  Benj.  B.  Hampton 


PuUisJied  March,  1910 


P 


f 
INTRODUCTION 


WHEN  "A  Sailor's  Log"  was  published,  I  felt 
that  I  had  written  enough  about  myself.  Some  people 
even  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  I  had  written  too  much. 
Now  that  I  am  retired  and  have  plenty  of  time  on  my 
hands,  I  have  concluded,  at  the  earnest  request  of  my 
publishers  and  many  other  friends,  to  write  a  sequel  to 
"  A  Sailor's  Log,"  "  An  Admiral's  Log/'  and  in  it  re 
late  such  incidents  as  may  be  of  interest  to  the  general 
public.  With  this  in  view,  I  will  take  up  the  story  of 
my  life  after  the  Spanish  War  and  complete  it  up  to 
the  date  of  my  retirement  from  active  service  at  the  age 
of  sixty-two  years. 

ROBLEY  D.  EVANS. 


25246? 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTE*  PAGE 

I. — THE  SAMPSON-SCHLEY  CONTROVERSY  i 

The  court  of  inquiry — The  opinion  of  the  court — Action  of 
Secretary  of  the  Navy — An  unfortunate  controversy. 

II.— ORDERED  TO  THE  ISLAND  OF  SAMOA      ....        8 
On  court-martial  duty — Pago  Pago — The  natives  of  Samoa 
— A  war  dance — The  court-martial. 

III.— COLLECTING  INFORMATION  AT  HONOLULU      .       .       .      19 
Labour  conditions — Pearl  Harbour — Report  to  the  Presi 
dent. 

IV. — THE  VISIT  OF  PRINCE  HENRY  OF  PRUSSIA    ...      26 
Arranging  for  Prince's  visit — A  special-service  squadron — 
Arrival  of  Prince  Henry — Reception  by  German  societies 
— The  Prince  at  Washington — Launching  of  the  Meteor — 
Visits  and  receptions  in  New  York. 

V.— PRINCE  HENRY  IN  THE  WEST 41 

On  the  Prince's  train — Arrival  at  St.  Louis — At  Chattanooga 
— Southern  hospitality — In  Chicago — Passing  the  danger 
point — The  ball  at  Chicago — Reception  at  Milwaukee. 

VI. — PRINCE  HENRY  AT  NIAGARA  FALLS        .       .       .       .      57 
Visit  to  power  house — A  Canadian  welcome. 

VII.— PRINCE  HENRY  IN  BOSTON 60 

At  Harvard — Reception  at  the  State  House — A  Boston  ban 
quet — An  American  hostess. 

VIII. — PRINCE  HENRY  BIDS  FAREWELL  TO  AMERICA       .       .      66 
Entertainment  at  New  York— At  the  University  Club— With 
the  Captains  of  Industry — A  New  York  private  dinner — In 
Philadelphia— At  Annapolis— At  West  Point— Results  of 
Prince  Henry's  visit — Prince  Henry's  farewell. 

vii 


Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

IX. — ORDERED  TO  THE  ASIATIC  FLEET 80 

Chairman  of  Lighthouse  Board — Conditions  in  the  East — 
On  the  way  to  Japan — An  English  passenger  ship — The 
English  Naval  Reserve — Lunch  with  Prince  David — 
Hawaiian  fruits — A  commodore  of  the  old  days — A  good 
swimmer. 

X. — IN  JAPAN 99 

Arrival  at  Yokohama — Coast  defences — Assume  command 
— The  Emperor  of  Japan — The  Empress  of  Japan — Lunch 
eon  with  Baron  Yamamoto — The  President's  instructions. 

XL — THE  GERMAN  NAVAL  STATION  IN  CHINA      .       .       .     113 
Naval  bases  in  China — Germany's  concession — The  Ger 
mans  at  Tsingtao — German  naval  methods. 

XII. — TARGET  PRACTICE  AT  CHEFOO         .       .       .       .       .     123 
Target  practice — In  the  old  way — Early  torpedo  practice — 
Smokeless  powder — The   ping-pong  machine — Results  of 
firing— Captain  Sah— A  wonderful  shot. 

XIII. — SUMMER  HEADQUARTERS  IN  CHINA        .       .       .       .     140 
The  Kentucky  at  Chefoo — China  Inland  Mission  School — 
Medical  examinations — Instructions  for  target  practice. 

XIV. — AN  INSPECTION  TOUR  .         .V       .         .         .         .'  '      .      153 
Newchwang — Inspecting  the  Monocacy — Telescope  Sights 
— At  Port  Arthur — Russian  opinion  of  Japan — A  visionary 
scheme. 

XV. — IN  NORTHERN  ASIA    .      .      .      .       .      .      .      .     163 

The  Emperor  of  Korea — An  imperial  luncheon — Through 
the  Straits  of  Korea — At  Vladivostock — Dinner  with  the 
Russian  admiral — Japanese  preparations  for  war — Jap 
anese  thoroughness. 

XVI. — UP  THE  YANGTZE  RIVER  .       .       .       .'     ...     178 
At   Wusung — On   the    Yangtze — The   Mississippi   of   the 
East— At  Wuchang— Viceroy  Cheng-Chi-Tung— At  Nan 
king — American-China    Development    Co. — The    Canton- 
Hankow  railway. 

XVII. — IN  COMMAND  OF  THE  ASIATIC  STATION  .         .          .       195 

Order  for  torpedo  practice — Order  for  dinner  uniform — 
Island  of  Formosa — At  Canton — From  Hong  Kong  to 
Manila— With  Governor  Taft— Tactical  work. 

viii 


Contents 

CHAPTER  PACK 

XVIII. — PRACTICE  DRILLS  AT  SUBIG  BAY 210 

Mines  and  countermines — Fleet  movements — Torpedo- 
boat  tests — Coast  survey — Trouble  with  Moros — Distrust 
of  the  Filipinos — Dislike  of  Americans. 

XIX. — THE  SOUTHERN  ISLANDS  OF  THE  PHILIPPINES    .          .      224 
Annoyances  from  customs  people — The  Philippine  mango 
— At  Malabang — At  Fort  Vickars — The  Moro  problem — 
In  the  Sulu  country — Tawi-Tawi  Islands. 

XX. — FROM  SINGAPORE  TO  TIENTSIN     ...      .      .    239 
In  British  North  Borneo — A  Russian  squadron  in  Japan — 
At  Singapore — A  visit  to  Kioto — Off  the  Taku  bar — At 
Tientsin — German  troops  in  China. 

XXI. — AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  EMPRESS  DOWAGER  .       .      .252 
Visit  to  Pekin — During  the  siege  of  Pekin — The  looting  at 
Pekin — The  Empress  Dowager  of  China — Interview  with 
Empress  Dowager — A  dinner  at  Pekin — New  treaty  ports 
— Evacuation  of  Chinese  ports. 

XXII. — A  SUMMER  AT  CHEFOO 268 

Defences  of  Port  Arthur — Officers'  wives — A  typhoon — 
Gifts  from  the  Empress  Dowager — Trouble  at  Poyang 
Lake — Authority  for  action — German  consideration — Un 
expected  orders — Hunting  ducks  in  Japan — A  royal  feast. 

XXIII.— ORDERED  TO  HONOLULU 286 

A  heavy  sea — Difficulty  with  the  collector — Immigration 
commissioner  interferes — Return  to  Manila — Wakes 
Island — Inhabitants  of  Guam. 

XXIV. — FROM  HONG  KONG  TO  NEW  YORK      .       .       .       .299 
Importance    of    Olongapo — Russian    activities    at    New- 
chwang — Japan     begins     war — Homeward     bound — In 
Ceylon— Arrival  at  Naples— A  visit   from   the   King  of 
Italy — Home  again. 

XXV. — IN  COMMAND  OF  NORTH  ATLANTIC  SQUADRON  .  .  316 
Another  sea  command — Arrival  at  Pensacola — An  un 
satisfactory  station — New  gun  sights — Departure  from 
Pensacola — Question  of  ship  repairs — At  Culebra — 
Christmas  in  the  West  Indies— Small-arm  target  prac 
tice — Seeking  a  new  target  range — An  excellent  range — 
The  Guantanamo  reservation — Culebra  and  Guantanamo. 

ix 


Contents 

CHAPTER  PACK 

XXVI. — THE  SUMMER  WORK  OF  THE   NORTH   ATLANTIC 

SQUADRON 342 

Discouraging  work — Enlistment  in  the  navy — Cape  Cod 
Bay — Recreation  on  Sunday — Over-zealous  Christians — 
Escorting  squadron  from  France — Two  admirals'  flags — 
An  international  entertainment — Prince  Louis  in  New 
York— The  Battenberg  cup. 

XXVII.— IN  THE  WEST  INDIES  .       .      .       .       .       .       .363 

A  very  successful  regatta — Earthquake  at  Kingston — 
Admiral  Davis  in  Jamaica — Governor  Swettenham — Im 
provement  in  target  practice — A  deplorable  accident. 

XXVIII. — AT  THE  JAMESTOWN  EXPOSITION      .       .       t      -375 
At  Cape  Cod   Bay— The  President's  visit— President 
dines  with  crew — The  Jamestown  Exposition — Arrival 
of  foreign  ships — The  opening — Continuous  entertain 
ments — Duke  of  Abruzzi's  reception — A  welcome  relief. 

XXIX. — PREPARING  FOR  THE  PACIFIC  CRUISE      .       .       .392 
Mr.  Metcalf  s  announcement — Oyster  Bay  conference — 
Preparations  for  the  Pacific — Target  practice  described 
— Fire  control — Navy-yard  conditions — The  food  ques 
tion — Supplies  for  the  ships — The  repair  ship. 

XXX. — THE  DEPARTURE  FOR  THE  PACIFIC   .         .         .         .411 
The  President's  good-bye — The  start  for  the  Pacific — 
Christmas  at   Port-of-Spain — Crossing  the   "Line" — 
King  Neptune  on  board — The  firemen  of  the  fleet — 
Foolish  stories. 

XXXI. — AROUND  SOUTH  AMERICA    .       .       .       .       .       .427 

Arrival  at  Rio  de  Janeiro — Arrangements  for  shore 
leave — Departure  from  Rio — Greetings  from  the  Ar 
gentine  fleet— In  the  Straits  of  Magellan— At  Punta 
Arenas — On  the  Pacific — Reviewed  by  President  of 
Chile— At  Callao,  Peru. 

XXXII. — ON  THE  PACIFIC  COAST 441 

At  Magdalena  Bay — Arrangement  for  San  Francisco — 
In  Southern  California — In  San  Francisco. 

XXXIII. — ON  THE  RETIRED  LIST 450 

The  President's  congratulations — The  enthusiasm  of 
the  West— Trade  problems  of  the  Pacific— August  18, 
1909. 

X 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 


Rear- Admiral  Robley  Df  Evans Frontispiece 

Prince  Henry  of  Prussia  with  Admiral  Evans,  on  his  tour  through 

the  United  States 4$ 

Commodore  C.  P.  Sah,  Imperial  Chinese  Navy       .  .       .     136 

At  Ichang,  China      .       .       .    '    .       .        •        •    -  •       •       •       .184 
Party   attending   funeral  ceremonies  of  Lui-Kun-Yu,  Viceroy  of 

the  Province  of  Nanking I9° 

United  States  Fleet  at  Honolulu    .        .  292 

Commanders  of  the  Pacific  Fleet  with  President  Roosevelt    .        .412 
The  Pacific  Fleet  entering  the  harbour  of  San  Francisco       .        .     448 


AN   ADMIRAL'S   LOG 


CHAPTER    I 

THE   SAMPSON-SCHLEY   CONTROVERSY 

AFTER  the  Spanish  War,  when  the  North  Atlantic 
Squadron  went  to  New  York  and  was  reviewed  in  the 
harbour  there,  the  press  and  the  people  of  the  country 
seemed  well  pleased  with  what  we  had  done,  and  gave 
us  unstinted  praise.  Great  courtesy  was  shown  both 
officers  and  men  whenever  they  went  on  shore;  but 
after  a  short  time  this  condition  began  to  change  and 
soon  there  was  a  bitter  paper  war  raging  all  over  the 
country,  as  to  whether  Sampson  or  Schley  was  entitled 
to  the  credit  for  winning  the  battle  fought  off  Santiago, 
July  3,  1898.  The  officers  and  men  of  the  navy  were 
practically  a  unit  in  favour  of  Sampson;  but  a  majority 
of  the  newspapers  favoured  Schley.  The  discussion  was 
carried  into  the  halls  of  Congress  when  the  President 
asked  promotion  for  certain  officers  of  the  fleet,  and, 
once  there,  it  soon  developed  a  political  phase  which 
eventually  prevented  any  advancement  for  either  of 
the  flag  officers  interested.  The  captains,  executive 
officers,  and  chief  engineers  of  the  ships  engaged  were 
advanced  a  few  numbers,  and  there  the  matter  rested 
for  a  time. 

Mr.  Maclay,  a  writer  on  naval  history  who  has 

I 


An  Admiral's  Log 

prepared  several  text-books  for  the  Naval  Academy, 
wrote  an  account  of  the  battle  of  Santiago  in  which  he 
used  most  violent  and  abusive  language  regarding 
Schley.  Muck-raking  and  mud-slinging  had  been 
pretty  general  in  the  press  all  over  the  country,  and 
every  officer  and  man  in  the  fight  had  been  more  or  less 
bespattered  by  one  side  or  the  other;  but  this  attack  on 
Schley  was  more  personal  and  vicious  than  anything 
that  had  preceded  it,  and  there  was  little  surprise  when 
the  commodore  made  it  the  ground  of  official  com 
plaint,  and  demanded  that  a  court  of  his  brother  offi 
cers  be  ordered  to  inquire  into  his  conduct  during  the 
campaign  in  the  West  Indies. 

A  court  of  inquiry  was  accordingly  ordered  to  meet 
at  the  Washington  Navy  Yard,  and,  after  two  officers 
had  been  relieved  at  the  request  of  Commodore  Schley, 
was  composed  as  follows :  Admiral  Dewey,  Admiral 
Bentham,  and  Admiral  Ramsay,  with  Captain  S.  C. 
Lemly,  Judge-Advocate  General  of  the  Navy,  as  re 
corder.  Commodore  Schley  was  defended  by  counsel 
of  recognised  legal  ability.  The  sessions  of  the  court 
were  held  in  a  large  room  in  one  of  the  shops  of  the 
navy  yard,  were  open  to  the  public,  and  as  a  rule  were 
attended  by  crowds  of  people,  mostly  women  and  news 
paper  correspondents.  Every  officer  and  man  who 
could  throw  any  light  on  the  subject  before  the  court, 
was  summoned,  examined,  and  cross-examined.  The 
daily  papers  were  filled  with  the  evidence  and  the  com 
ments  of  those  who  were  interested  in  making  it  appear 
to  the  advantage  of  one  side  or  the  other,  until  every 
one  was  thoroughly  sick,  I  thinly  of  the  mud-slinging 
affair. 

2 


The  Opinion  of  the  Court 

My  sympathies  were  well  known  to  be  on  the  side 
of  Admiral  Sampson,  for  I  made  no  effort  to  conceal 
them;  but  I  was  often  surprised  at  the  way  I  was 
abused  in  the  newspapers  for  the  things  I  had  not  said 
or  done,  as  well  as  for  those  I  had ;  and  I  am  sure  that 
my  experience  was  exactly  that  of  many  other  officers. 
It  was  a  washing  of  navy  linen  in  public,  the  like  of 
which  had  never  before  been  seen,  certainly  not  in  my 
time. 

After  sitting  several  months  and  hearing  much  evi 
dence,  the  inquiry  was  concluded.  The  opinion  of  the 
court  was  as  follows : 


OPINION 

"  Commodore  Schley,  in  command  of  the  Flying 
Squadron,  should  have  proceeded  with  utmost  de 
spatch  off  Cienfuegos,  and  should  have  maintained  a 
close  blockade  of  that  port. 

"  He  should  have  endeavoured  on  May  23d,  at  Cien 
fuegos,  to  obtain  information  regarding  the  Spanish 
squadron  by  communicating  with  the  insurgents  at  the 
place  designated  in  the  memorandum  delivered  to  him 
at  8.15  A.M.  of  that  date. 

"  He  should  have  proceeded  from  Cienfuegos  to 
Santiago  de  Cuba  with  all  despatch,  and  should  have 
disposed  his  vessels  with  a  view  of  intercepting  the 
enemy  in  any  attempt  to  pass  the  Flying  Squadron. 

"  He  should  not  have  delayed  the  squadron  for  the 
Eagle. 

"  He  should  not  have  made  the  retrograde  turn 
westward  with  his  squadron. 

"  He  should  have  promptly  obeyed  the  Navy  De 
partment's  order  of  May  25th. 

"  He  should  have  endeavoured  to  capture  or  destroy 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  Spanish  vessels  at  anchor  near  the  entrance  of  San 
tiago  Harbour  on  May  2Qth  and  3Oth. 

"  He  did  not  do  his  utmost  with  the  force  under 
his  command  to  capture  or  destroy  the  Colon  and 
other  vessels  of  the  enemy  which  he  attacked  on  May 
3 1  st. 

"  By  commencing  the  engagement  on  July  3d  with 
the  port  battery  and  turning  the  Brooklyn  around  with 
port  helm,  Commodore  Schley  caused  her  to  lose  dis 
tance  and  position  with  the  Spanish  vessels,  especially 
with  the  Vizcaya  and  Colon. 

"  The  turn  of  the  Brooklyn  to  starboard  was  made 
to  avoid  getting  her  into  dangerous  proximity  to  the 
Spanish  vessels.  The  turn  was  made  toward  the  Texas, 
and  caused  that  vessel  to  stop  and  to  back  her  engines 
to  avoid  possible  collision. 

"  Admiral  Schley  did  injustice  to  Lieutenant-Com 
mander  A.  C.  Hodgson  in  publishing  only  a  portion  of 
the  correspondence  which  passed  between  them. 

"  Commodore  Schley's  conduct  in  connection  with 
the  events  of  the  Santiago  campaign  prior  to  June  i, 
1898,  was  characterised  by  vacillation,  dilatoriness,  and 
lack  of  enterprise. 

"  His  official  reports  regarding  the  coal  supply  and 
the  coaling  facilities  of  the  Flying  Squadron  were  inac 
curate  and  misleading. 

"  His  conduct  during  the  battle  of  July  3d  was  self- 
possessed,  and  he  encouraged,  in  his  own  person,  his 
subordinate  officers  and  men  to  fight  courageously." 

To  this  opinion  of  the  court  Admiral  Dewey  added 
his  own  opinion,  as  follows: 

"  Commodore  Schley  was  the  senior  officer  of  our 
squadron  off  Santiago  when  the  Spanish  squadron 
attempted  to  escape  on  the  morning  of  July  3,  1898. 
He  was  in  absolute  command,  and  is  entitled  to  the 

4 


Action  of  Secretary  of  the   Navy 

credit  due  to  such  commanding  officer  for  the  glorious 
victory  which  resulted  in  the  total  destruction  of  the 
Spanish  ships." 

RECOM  MENDATION 

"  In  view  of  the  length  of  time  which  has  elapsed 
since  the  occurrence  of  the  events  of  the  Santiago  cam 
paign,  the  court  recommends  no  further  proceedings  be 
had  in  the  premises/' 

The  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  in  approving  the  find 
ings  of  fact  and  opinion  of  the  full  court,  remarks  as 
follows : 


"  As  to  the  points  on  which  the  presiding  member 
differs  from  the  opinion  of  the  majority  of  the  court, 
the  opinion  of  the  majority  is  approved. 

"  As  to  the  further  expression  of  his  views  by  the 
same  member,  with  regard  to  the  questions  of  com 
mand  on  the  morning  of  July  3,  1898,  and  of  the  title 
to  credit  for  the  ensuing  victory,  the  conduct  of  the  court 
in  making  no  finding  and  rendering  no  opinion  on  those 
questions  is  approved — indeed,  it  could  with  propriety 
take  no  other  course,  evidence  on  these  questions  dur 
ing  the  inquiry  having  been  excluded  by  the  court." 

This  opinion  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy — indeed, 
the  whole  finding  of  the  court — met  with  the  approval 
of  the  officers  of  the  navy  as  a  body.  Commodore 
Schley  and  his  legal  adviser  did  all  in  their  power  to 
induce  the  President  to  place  his  disapproval  on  these 
proceedings;  but  they  failed  completely,  and  he  finally 
approved  them.  The  press  of  the  country  for  many 
months  continued  its  abuse  of  the  one  side  or  the  other, 
and  Congress  failed  to  do  anything  for  the  promotion 
2  5 


An  Admiral's  Log 

of  either  of  the  flag  officers  interested.  Admiral  Samp 
son  died  without  the  least  recognition  or  reward  from 
the  country  for  the  splendid  campaign  he  had  fought. 
In  common  with  those  of  us  who  stood  by  him,  he 
received  unstinted  abuse  from  many  newspapers,  whose 
editors  showed  their  courage  by  abusing  officers  by 
name  without  disclosing  their  own  identity.  But  the 
newspapers  were  not  the  only  offenders.  One  has  only 
to  read  the  debates  in  Congress  to  see  how  senators  and 
representatives  showed  their  gallantry  by  attacking  offi 
cers  by  name,  knowing  full  well  that  these  same  offi 
cers  could  not  in  any  way  reply  to  them. 

Worse  even  than  these  thrusts  from  Congress  and 
the  press  were  the  letters  of  creatures  calling  themselves 
men,  dirty  blackguards  who  wrote  to  Mrs.  Sampson 
even  after  the  death  of  her  gallant  husband  to  tell  her 
in  vile  terms  what  they  thought  of  him.  Great  num 
bers  of  these  letters  came  to  me  and  other  friends,  and 
upon  us  men  they  made  no  impression  except  that  of 
disgust  for  their  writers ;  but  when  we  learned  the  num 
ber  and  character  of  those  sent  to  that  lady,  we  were 
shocked  and  disappointed  that  that  number  of  Ameri 
can  men  could  so  disgrace  their  manhood. 

As  a  direct  result  of  this  unfortunate  controversy, 
the  service  at  large  suffered  greatly.  The  position  of 
vice-admiral,  to  which  Admiral  Sampson  was  entitled, 
and  to  which  President  McKinley  asked  Congress  to 
advance  him,  has  remained  vacant  to  this  day.  Cer 
tainly  the  navy,  as  a  service,  was  entitled  to  this  recog 
nition,  and  if  Sampson  was  not  the  man  for  it,  then 
some  other  deserving  flag  officer  should  have  been 
selected  and  promoted.  The  corresponding  rank  in  the 

6 


An  Unfortunate  Controversy 

army  was  promptly  filled,  and  many  officers  of  that 
service  have  been  retired  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant- 
general,  which  corresponds  with  vice-admiral  in  the 
navy.  It  cannot  be  justly  claimed  that  officers  of  the 
army  did  more  brilliant  or  valuable  service  during  the 
Spanish  War  than  did  those  of  the  navy,  and,  if  their 
promotion  be  placed  on  the  ground  of  service  in  the 
Civil  War,  I  think  we  may  fairly  claim  that  Sampson, 
Schley,  Philip,  Higginson,  and  many  others  were  quite 
as  prominent  in  that  war  as  were  the  officers  of  the 
army  who  have  been  advanced  to  the  grade  of  lieuten 
ant-general  and  retired  with  that  rank.  The  only  ex 
planation  which  seems  to  explain  is  that  the  army  is 
more  fortunate  in  its  congressional  committees  than  is 
the  navy.  We  congratulate  our  brother  officers  of  the 
army  on  their  well-deserved  promotions;  but  we  feel 
at  the  same  time  that  we  have  not  been  justly  treated, 
and  all  because  of  a  newspaper  war  inaugurated  and 
fought  out  as  a  matter  of  spite  against  one  of  the  ablest 
officers  the  navy  has  ever  produced. 


CHAPTER    II 

ORDERED   TO    THE   ISLAND   OF   SAMOA 

ONE  day  in  the  month  of  October,  1901,  I  was  or 
dered  to  report  in  person  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
as  he  wished  to  see  me  on  a  matter  of  importance. 
Upon  presenting  myself,  I  was  informed  that  I  was  to 
proceed  to  the  island  of  Samoa  as  president  of  a  gen 
eral  court-martial  to  try  the  governor  of  the  island  on 
very  serious  charges  of  misconduct.  Samoa  and  Guam, 
two  of  our  island  possessions,  were  then,  and  still  are, 
controlled  by  the  Navy  Department  through  a  gov 
ernor,  a  naval  officer,  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy. 

The  charges  against  the  governor  were  not  shown 
to  me  at  the  time;  but  the  general  tenor  of  them  was 
explained.  If  the  government  could  establish  its  case 
there  could  be  little  doubt  of  what  the  finding  of  the 
court  would  be ;  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  list  of  wit 
nesses  disclosed  did  not  promise  a  conviction,  and  I  so 
expressed  myself.  At  the  same  time  I  warned  the 
chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation  that  the  government 
must  be  prepared  to  establish  the  fact  of  the  misconduct 
of  the  governor  beyond  any  reasonable  doubt,  as  he  was 
an  officer  of  excellent  reputation,  and  I  felt  sure  the 
court,  which  was  composed  of  high  ranking  officers, 
would  require  the  most  positive  evidence  before  finding 

8 


On  Court -Martial  Duty 

him  guilty.  It  was  a  matter  of  very  considerable  ex 
pense  to  send  so  large  a  court  so  long  a  distance,  and, 
unless  the  governor  was  actually  guilty,  it  seemed  a 
waste  of  money  to  do  so. 

I  asked  a  number  of  questions  about  the  case,  and 
soon  became  satisfied  that  there  was  something  peculiar 
about  the  way  the  charges  had  been  prepared;  but  the 
only  real  information  I  could  get  was  that  I  was  ask 
ing  too  many  questions,  that  the  Navy  Department  had 
drawn  the  charges  to  suit  itself,  and  that  I  was  to  pro 
ceed  as  president  of  the  court  and  try  the  case  in  obedi 
ence  to  my  orders,  which  were  there  and  then  handed 
to  me. 

Upon  leaving  the  Department  I  was  much  sur 
prised  to  meet  the  governor  himself  face  to  face.  He 
was  one  whom  I  had  known  for  many  years,  and  was 
at  the  time  on  leave  from  his  station  at  Samoa.  He 
informed  me  in  a  few  words  of  his  trouble,  and  that  he 
had  no  idea  who  had  reported  him  or  the  nature  of  the 
charges.  When  I  informed  him  that  I  had  been  or 
dered  on  the  court  to  try  him,  of  course,  he  said  noth 
ing  more  about  his  case,  and  I  did  not  see  him  again 
until  he  was  arraigned  before  the  court  at  Samoa. 

The  day  following  my  orders  to  this  unpleasant 
duty,  the  President  sent  for  me  to  come  to  the  White 
House  and  there  detailed  to  me  certain  information  he 
required  about  matters  in  Honolulu.  He  directed  me 
to  stop  over  a  couple  of  weeks  at  the  Sandwich  Islands 
on  my  way  back  from  Samoa,  and  on  my  return  to 
Washington  to  report  to  him  fully  on  the  points  he 
indicated,  and  also  to  collect  for  him,  while  in  Hono 
lulu,  the  information  he  desired.  He  felt,  and  I  agreed 

9 


An  Admiral's  Log 

with  him,  that  as  a  naval  officer  on  important  court- 
martial  duty  I  could  do  what  he  wanted  done  without 
causing  comment  or  excitement.  It  was  only  necessary 
to  use  ordinary  common  sense  and  to  keep  my  eyes 
open,  and  I  felt  competent  to  do  both.  Honolulu  was 
a  long  way  from  Washington,  and  it  seemed  most  diffi 
cult  for  the  President  to  get  the  facts  he  wanted  un- 
coloured  by  party  prejudice. 

In  order  that  we  might  reach  our  destination  with 
some  degree  of  comfort,  the  Navy  Department  ordered 
the  naval  transport  Solace  to  be  in  readiness  in  San 
Francisco  to  receive  the  court.  She  was  about  making 
one  of  her  regular  trips  to  Manila,  and  after  landing  us 
at  Samoa  she  was  to  continue  on  her  way,  leaving  us 
to  make  our  way  back  as  best  we  could.  The  impor 
tant  thing  in  the  eyes  of  the  Department  was  the  trial 
and  conviction  of  the  governor  of  Samoa,  and  after 
they  had  done  that  the  court  could  wander  about  the 
South  Sea  Islands  endlessly,  as  far  as  any  transporta 
tion  home  by  the  Navy  Department  was  indicated. 

When  the  court  reported  on  board  the  Solace  at 
San  Francisco,  it  was  apparent  to  all  that  the  case  was 
considered  a  most  important  one,  as  was  shown  by 
the  number  of  high  ranking  officers  composing  the 
court.  Our  luggage  was  soon  stowed,  and  we  were 
promptly  off  to  sea.  All  possible  care  was  taken  for 
our  comfort,  and  after  a  pleasant  run  of  seven  days, 
during  which  time  the  Solace  showed  us  what  real  roll 
ing  meant,  we  arrived  at  Honolulu.  Here  we  remained 
two  days  discharging  freight  and  fighting  mosquitoes, 
and  then  willingly  went  on  our  way. 

The  run  down  to  Samoa  was  uneventful,  the 
10 


Pago  Pago 

weather  fine,  and  the  sea  like  an  inland  lake.  As  we 
approached  the  island,  the  rain  set  in  and  continued 
with  little  intermission  until  we  were  again  clear  of  the 
land  on  our  way  back  to  Honolulu.  The  entrance  to 
the  harbour  of  Pago  Pago  is  very  beautiful,  entirely 
tropical  in  appearance,  and  well  suited  for  defensive  bat 
teries,  which  one  would  expect  to  find,  as  the  harbour 
contains  an  expensive  coaling  station  on  which  the  Navy 
Department  places  a  high  value.  Some  distance  from 
the  land  is  found  the  usual  atoll,  or  coral  reef,  so  com 
mon  in  the  South  Seas,  and  through  this  by  a  wide 
opening  one  reaches  the  channel,  leading  in  between 
bold  headlands  to  the  port.  The  harbour  is  made  by  the 
crater  of  an  extinct  volcano,  is  small,  perfectly  pro 
tected,  and  very  beautiful.  The  high  lands,  or  moun 
tains,  surrounding  the  harbour  are  very  bold  and  abrupt, 
and  densely  covered  with  tropical  vegetation.  Only 
one  or  two  trails  pass  over  them,  and  there  are  no  roads 
fit  for  wheeled  vehicles  of  any  sort,  which  is  not  impor 
tant,  as  there  are  no  such  things.  All  travelling  is  on 
foot,  and  usually  the  feet  are  bare,  as  any  kind  of  foot 
gear  would  stand  little  chance  in  the  stiff,  sticky  mud 
which  always  covers  the  ground.  In  the  rainy  season 
it  rains  all  the  time,  and  in  the  dry  season  only  four  or 
five  times  a  day.  The  Rainmaker,  one  of  the  bold, 
rugged  mountains  in  front  of  the  village,  always  gives 
warning  of  a  coming  shower.  At  such  times  a  mist, 
more  or  less  dense,  always  covers  the  top  of  the  moun 
tain;  hence,  its  name. 

When  we  arrived  we  found  the  admiral,  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  Pacific  Fleet,  in  port  on  board 
his  flagship,  the  battleship  Wisconsin.  The  court  was 

ii 


An  Admiral's  Log 

promptly  organised,  and  received  from  the  admiral  the 
charges  prepared  by  the  Navy  Department,  to  which  he 
had,  as  directed,  added  one  or  two.  As  president  of  the 
court,  I  took  the  liberty  of  suggesting  to  him,  as  I 
had  the  right  to  do,  that  he  withdraw  the  charges  he 
had  himself  prepared,  as  I  was  satisfied  after  reading 
them  that  there  was  no  evidence  to  sustain  them.  He 
declined  to  do  this,  and  they  were  presented  to  the  court 
exactly  as  they  had  been  drawn.  The  court  adjourned 
for  three  days  to  allow  the  defence  time  to  prepare  their 
case,  and  the  members  took  advantage  of  this  time  to 
see  what  they  could  of  this  far-away  possession  of  ours 
and  its  inhabitants. 

I  found  the  people  without  exception  the  handsom 
est  physical  specimens  I  had  ever  seen.  Owing  to 
their  isolated  geographical  position,  they  had  escaped 
entirely  the  loathsome  diseases  that  are  so  common  in 
most  seaports.  Their  skins  were  of  a  beautiful  bronze 
colour,  and  their  muscular  development  wonderfully 
perfect.  They  had  no  scars  or  blemishes,  except  now 
and  then  the  mark  of  a  bolo  cut  or  thrust,  and  they 
moved  with  the  graceful  motion  common  to  highly 
trained  athletes.  They  were,  indeed,  veritable  living 
bronze  statues,  and  very  much  alive  at  that. 

The  only  practicable  means  of  communication  be 
tween  the  different  villages  on  the  island,  of  which  there 
were  a  dozen  or  more,  was  by  boats,  and  the  people, 
men,  women,  and  children,  were,  as  a  rule,  good  sailors, 
and  their  boats  were  well  fitted  for  the  hard  weather 
they  had  to  encounter.  A  few  trails  led  about  over  the 
mountains ;  but  on  account  of  the  mud  these  were  only 
used  when  a  water  route  was  impracticable.  A  plan 

12 


The  Natives  of  Samoa 

had  been  completed  by  the  governor  and  his  staff  for  a 
road  along  the  seashore,  more,  I  imagine,  to  give  a 
place  for  exercise  than  for  any  practical  use. 

When  we  assumed  charge  of  these  people,  or  it  may 
be  a  short  time  before,  the  idea  of  clothing  them  prop 
erly,  according  to  the  notions  of  the  missionaries,  was 
advanced,  and  soon  bore  its  legitimate  fruit.  In  the 
climate  in  which  they  lived  their  own  clothing,  which 
consisted  of  a  good  coat  of  palm  oil  and  a  waist-clout, 
was  an  admirable  protection,  but  this  could  not  be  tol 
erated  for  a  moment  in  the  face  of  our  civilised  habits, 
and  the  poor  natives  were  clapped  into  woven  dresses 
for  the  women  and  cheap  shop  clothes  for  the  men. 
These  clothes,  wet  always  from  force  of  surrounding 
weather  conditions,  soon  brought  pneumonia  and  kin 
dred  diseases,  and  many  lives  were  sacrificed.  I  was 
amused  to  watch  the  people  who  came  down  to  the 
dock  every  day  for  a  swim.  They  came  in  great  num 
bers,  and  all  properly  dressed,  but  when  they  reached 
the  dock  they  would  carefully  take  off  their  wet,  gaudy- 
looking  clothes,  dive  into  the  water,  swim  about  like 
fishes,  and  then  climb  out  onto  the  dock  and,  having 
replaced  their  wet  clothing,  go  quietly  about  their  busi 
ness.  It  seemed  to  me  that  we  had  not  done  much  real 
good  to  these  excellent  people  by  forcing  upon  them 
our  ideas  as  to  dress.  Many  thousands  had  died  from 
eruptive  diseases,  principally  measles  and  small-pox, 
and  it  was  pathetic  to  see  their  dread  of  these  disorders. 
Vaccination  had,  in  a  measure,  removed  one  danger; 
but  the  other  was  a  constant  terror  to  these  simple 
people. 

For  food  they  relied  on  tropical  fruits  and  such  fish 

13 


An  Admiral's  Log 

as  they  could  secure.  Meat  was  practically  out  of 
their  diet  list.  Yams  and  sweet  potatoes  were  in 
plenty,  and  yams  and  bananas  were  always  at  hand. 
Pineapples,  the  finest  I  have  ever  seen  anywhere  in  the 
world,  grew  wild  all  over  the  island.  Some  were  sent 
me  that  weighed  twenty-five  pounds  each,  and  the  fla 
vour  was  equal  to  the  best  pine  grown  in  Singapore. 
The  water  supply  was  ample  and  its  quality  excellent, 
so  there  was  no  good  reason  why  any  one  should  be 
sick. 

On  one  of  our  off  days,  Munger,  the  head  chief, 
gave  us  a  reception,  which  I  am  sure  was  thoroughly 
enjoyed  by  every  member  of  the  court.  The  natives  of 
the  nearby  villages  had  been  invited  to  come  in  to  see 
the  distinguished  Americans,  and  they  came  to  the 
number  of  800  or  1,000.  We  were  assembled  on  the 
porch  of  one  of  the  small  government  frame  houses, 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  rain,  which  fell  at  times  in  tor 
rents,  and  as  the  natives  passed  they  deposited  their 
simple  gifts  at  our  feet.  Some  gave  a  few  eggs,  others 
gave  a  live  chicken,  but  most  of  them  gave  fruit  or 
cocoanuts.  Soon  many  hundreds  of  cocoanuts  just  off 
the  trees  were  piled  up;  and  it  was  most  interesting 
to  see  the  young  men  with  their  heavy,  wicked-looking 
knives  make  three  cuts  at  a  cocoanut  and  then  hand  it 
to  one  to  drink.  In  every  case  the  three  cuts  were  so 
accurately  made  that  a  small  triangular  piece  of  the 
shell  was  taken  out,  so  that  one  could  drink  the  milk 
without  the  least  trouble  or  inconvenience.  This  milk 
was  cool  and  most  refreshing  and  wholesome. 

Some  of  the  native  women  had,  in  the  meantime, 
prepared  for  us  a  native  drink  which  was  known  as 

14 


A  War    Dance 

cava  cava.  Formerly  this  drink  was  prepared  by 
young  women,  who  chewed  strips  of  the  root  of  the 
cava  plant  and  deposited  the  macerated  pulp  in  a 
wooden  bowl,  known  as  a  cava  bowl,  where  it  was 
allowed  to  ferment  for  a  certain  time.  Then  the  juice, 
which  was  more  or  less  intoxicating,  was  ready  for 
use.  In  our  case,  the  chewing  part  of  the  preparation 
was  dispensed  with,  and  the  beverage  was  produced  by 
rubbing  the  cava  roots  in  a  bowl  and  adding  water. 
When  tasted,  it  proved  to  be  an  acrid,  bitter-tasting 
drink,  nothing  like  as  pleasant  as  the  cocoanut  milk. 
As  to  its  alcoholic  properties,  none  of  us  drank  enough 
to  be  able  to  give  an  opinion. 

When  all  the  natives  were  assembled,  the  chief  gave 
us  an  exhibition  of  a  war  dance  or  drill,  and  it  was 
exceedingly  interesting.  The  warriors  were  in  their 
native  attire  of  palm  oil  and  armed  with  very  heavy, 
businesslike-looking  knives;  but  in  no  case  were  fire 
arms  of  any  kind  used.  Various  movements  were  exe 
cuted,  in  every  case  accompanied  by  the  beating  of 
many  drums,  and  finally  a  charge  was  ordered  in  which 
the  warriors,  plainly  under  a  very  strong  excitement, 
indicated  how  the  heads  of  their  enemies  would  be 
made  to  part  company  with  their  bodies.  When  this 
show  was  ended,  we  were  treated  to  a  native  dance, 
and  then  a  very  unusual  and  unlooked-for  thing  hap 
pened. 

The  governor  who  was  about  to  be  tried  was  very 
popular  with  the  natives,  who  looked  upon  him  as  their 
"  White  Father."  Since  our  arrival  he  had,  of  course, 
been  under  arrest,  and  could  not  be  seen  by  any  one. 
Somehow  the  impression  had  got  abroad  that  we  were 

15 


An  Admiral's  Log 

going  to  take  him  away  from  them.  This  did  not  in 
the  least  meet  with  their  approval.  When  the  native 
dance  was  finished,  the  chief  and  half  a  dozen  of  his 
finest  men  approached  us  with  knives  in  their  hands 
and  scowls  on  their  faces  and  demanded  to  know  why 
their  White  Father  was  not  among  us.  They  said  that 
all  the  people  were  unhappy  and  full  of  sorrow  because 
of  his  absence,  and  they  wanted  to  know  what  to  say 
to  them  on  the  subject.  For  a  few  minutes  it  looked 
as  if  we  might  have  serious  trouble;  but  the  com- 
mander-in-chief  was  entirely  capable  of  handling  the 
situation,  and  in  a  few  well-chosen  words  sent  the 
people  on  their  way,  satisfied  that  their  beloved  gov 
ernor  would  receive  kind  and  fair  treatment. 

I  had  a  chance  a  few  days  later  to  inspect  some  of 
the  native  houses,  and  was  struck  with  the  ingenuity 
displayed  in  their  construction.  No  nails  or  ironwork 
of  any  kind  were  used.  The  native  hardwood,  after 
being  properly  seasoned,  was  used  for  all  purposes — 
posts,  rafters,  and  flooring,  where  the  latter  was  desir 
able.  The  roofing  was  thatch,  which  in  this  climate 
of  constant  rains  had  to  be  quite  perfect.  All  upright 
and  cross  beams  were  pinned  together  and  then  lashed, 
and  so  well  was  this  done  that  the  buildings  withstood 
the  fearful  hurricanes  which  were  common  about  these 
islands. 

The  Navy  Department  had  authorised  the  enlist 
ment  of  one  company  of  marines  and  one  boat  crew 
from  the  natives  of  the  island,  and  I  am  perfectly  safe 
in  saying  that  I  never  saw  a  finer  looking  body  of  men 
or  a  better  drilled  lot.  Their  work  as  soldiers  would 
compare  most  favourably  with  that  of  the  best  among 

16 


The  Court -Martial 

our  regular  troops,  and  the  marine  sergeant  who  had 
charge  of  them  was  entitled  to  great  credit  for  his 
work.  If  our  government  ever  resorts  to  colonial 
troops  to  do  some  of  the  serious  work  we  have  ahead 
of  us  in  the  tropics,  I  am  sure  a  regiment,  or  maybe 
two,  could  be  quickly  raised  in  Samoa.  The  advan 
tage  of  using  them  among  our  "  little  brown  brothers  " 
is  apparent — they  could  use  a  rifle  with  effect  and  then 
show  an  aptitude  in  the  jungle  with  a  bolo  quite  equal 
to  that  of  the  natives  of  any  of  the  Philippine  Islands. 

In  due  course  of  time  the  court  met,  the  governor 
was  arraigned,  pleaded  not  guilty,  and  the  trial  began. 
The  government  produced  three  witnesses  only,  and  of 
these  two  testified  in  favour  of  the  accused,  and  the 
third,  a  medical  expert,  could  not  swear  positively 
whether  the  accused  was  under  the  influence  of  an 
intoxicant  or  overcome  by  the  heat.  This  closed  the 
case  of  the  prosecution,  and  the  defence  opened.  The 
counsel  for  the  defence  submitted  a  list  of  some 
thing  like  one  hundred  witnesses  they  wanted  to 
have  called,  and  asked  that  a  steamer  be  sent  to 
some  of  the  adjoining  islands  for  those  who  could 
give  important  testimony  bearing  on  the  case.  When 
we  had  heard  fifteen  or  twenty  of  the  most  im 
portant  witnesses,  the  court  concluded  the  case  by 
declaring  the  governor  not  guilty  and  most  hon 
ourably  acquitting  him  of  the  charges  prepared.  In 
all  my  experience  with  courts-martial  I  have  never 
known  a  case  so  weak  as  this  one  was,  nor  one  where 
there  was  so  little  ground  for  charges.  Upon  my  re 
turn  to  Washington  I  ascertained  how  the  whole  matter 
came  about.  The  general  impression  was  that  the 


An  Admirals  Log 

charges,  or  the  complaint  on  which  the  charges  were 
based,  had  in  some  way  come  from  the  missionaries, 
but  this  was  not  the  case.  A  letter  in  a  woman's  hand 
writing  was  received  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
reciting  certain  bad  conduct  on  the  part  of  the  gov 
ernor.  The  Secretary  cut  off  the  name  of  the  writer 
and  then  sent  the  letter  to  the  proper  officers  of  the 
Department,  with  an  order  to  prepare  the  charges. 
Thus,  practically  on  an  anonymous  letter,  the  expense 
of  sending  this  court  so  many  thousands  of  miles  was 
incurred,  not  to  mention  the  injury  to  the  reputation 
and  feelings  of  the  officer,  who  up  to  that  time  had 
enjoyed  a  fine  reputation. 


CHAPTER    III 

COLLECTING   INFORMATION    AT    HONOLULU 

THE  question  of  getting  back  to  Honolulu  became 
an  important  one  when  the  court  had  concluded  its 
labours.  The  commander-in-chief  thought  of  putting  us 
ashore  to  wait  two  weeks  for  the  steamer  which  would 
touch  at  Samoa  on  her  return  trip  from  Australia;  but 
this  species  of  marooning  was  abandoned  when  we 
insisted  on  proper  quarters  on  shore  to  protect  us 
against  the  weather,  because  there  were  no  such  quar 
ters.  Then  it  was  proposed  to  transfer  all  of  us  to  the 
flagship  and  let  her  take  us  back;  but  here  again  the 
question  of  quarters  had  to  be  considered,  and  this  plan 
was  also  abandoned.  In  the  end,  it  was  found  that  the 
Solace  could  touch  at  Honolulu  and  land  us  without 
seriously  interfering  with  her  trip  to  Manila,  and  this 
was  done.  Our  return  trip  was  tedious  but  comfort 
able.  Upon  arrival  at  Honolulu  we  all  took  rooms  at 
a  beautiful  new  hotel  to  wait  ten  days  or  two  weeks  for 
the  next  steamer  to  San  Francisco,  and  I  began  at  once 
to  collect  the  information  the  President  required. 

By  spending  a  part  of  each  day  and  night  at  clubs 
and  other  places  where  the  business  men  of  the  city 
congregated,  keeping  eyes  and  ears  open,  and  occa 
sionally  leading  the  conversation  into  the  proper  chan 
nels  by  a  few  cautious  words,  I  was  enabled  to  learn 

19 


An  Admiral's  Log 

much  that  the  President  wanted  to  know.  It  was  most 
important,  of  course,  that  I  should  get  the  information 
without  any  one  suspecting  my  purpose,  and  this  I  think 
I  succeeded  in  doing.  Many  leading  men  said  after 
wards  that  they  had  no  idea  how  the  President  could 
know  so  much  of  what  was  going  on  so  far  away.  I 
am  sure  that  some  of  those  deeply  interested  in  what 
took  place  on  the  island  immediately  after  my  return 
will  know  for  the  first  time,  if  they  read  this  book,  that 
I  had  any  hand  in  it. 

One  of  the  most  important  questions  to  be  looked 
into  was  that  of  labour  for  the  cane  fields.  Many  kinds 
of  labour  had  been  tried.  The  Asiatic  seemed  to  be  the 
best,  but  the  employment  of  this  labour  was  not  so 
simple  as  some  people  might  think.  The  law  permitted 
a  certain  number  of  males  to  land,  but  only  one  female 
could  land  for  each  half  dozen  or  seven  males,  so  that 
in  many  cases  I  found  a  woman  with  five  or  six  so- 
called  husbands.  No  families  being  possible  under  such 
conditions,  there  were  no  children  to  grow  up  on  the 
plantations  to  take  the  places  of  those  who  died  or 
returned  to  their  native  land.  I  visited  many  native 
women,  who  talked  with  me  very  freely  and  gave  me 
much  interesting  information.  I  asked  the  same  ques 
tion  of  a  number  of  them :  "  What  kind  of  a  man  do 
you  prefer  for  a  husband,  and  why?"  Practically  all 
of  them  gave  the  same  answer.  First,  "  A  Chinese,  be 
cause  he  is  economical,  never  gets  drunk  and  beats  his 
wife  and  kills  his  children."  Next,  "  A  Japanese/'  for 
the  same  reasons  somewhat  modified.  Next,  "  An 
American,  because  he  is  generally  good  to  his  wife ;  he 
never  kills  the  children  when  he  is  drunk."  And  last, 

20 


Labour  Conditions 

"  A  native  Hawaiian,  who  does  all  the  things  the  others 
do  not  do/' 

On  one  of  the  plantations  I  found  the  following 
conditions  existing.  A  party  of  Asiatics,  half  Jap 
anese  and  half  Chinese,  were  put  at  the  same  kind  of 
labour  in  the  cane  fields.  At  the  end  of  three  months 
not  a  Japanese  was  left.  They  were  all  with  the 
machinery  in  the  mills  and  pumping  stations,  or  else 
bosses  or  head  men  about  the  barracks.  All  the  Chi 
nese  were  just  where  they  had  been  put,  patiently  weed 
ing  the  cane  regardless  of  the  stifling,  sweltering  heat 
in  which  they  were  working — and  there  they  will 
remain  until  they  have  saved  enough  from  their  scanty 
wages  to  take  them  back  to  their  native  land.  Nothing, 
to  my  mind,  could  be  more  characteristic  of  the  two 
peoples,  Japanese  and  Chinese,  than  what  I  have  stated 
above.  One  or  t\vo  plantations  tried  negro  labour  from 
our  southern  states,  but  it  was  unsatisfactory  for  the 
reason  that  the  man  would  stop  work  when  he  had  done 
a  certain  amount,  and  nothing  in  reason  would  induce 
him  to  do  more.  After  he  had  received  his  wages  he 
wanted  to  rest  until  he  had  spent  them — the  experience 
of  our  own  planters  over  again.  A  few  plantations  had 
tried  imported  Porto  Rico  labour,  and,  while  it  was 
better  than  our  negro  labour,  it  was  not  up  to  the 
standard  of  the  Asiatics. 

I  found  the  whole  labour  question  in  a  most  unsatis 
factory  condition,  and,  as  far  as  I  know,  it  is  the  same 
to-day.  The  native  of  the  islands  will  mix  to  a  limited 
extent  with  the  whites,  but  does  not  furnish  satisfac 
tory  labour,  and  is  dying  off.  The  Japanese  are  a  very 
ambitious,  warlike  race,  and  likely  to  give  trouble  in 
3  21 


An  Admiral's  Log 

time.  Those  who  go  to  Honolulu,  as  a  rule,  are  men 
who  have  been  in  the  army  or  navy  at  home,  and  have 
served  their  time  with  the  colours.  They  are  patriotic 
and  loyal  to  a  degree,  and  when  ordered  home  by  the 
Emperor  go  without  a  word,  no  matter  what  personal 
sacrifice  their  going  may  entail.  They  do  not  rmx  with 
the  white  race  and  do  not  become  citizens  of  the  coun 
try.  Therefore,  it  seems  to  me  that  their  presence  in 
large  numbers  is  not  desirable.  The  people  of  Cali 
fornia  and  other  western  states  tried  Chinese  labour, 
gave  it  up  because  it  was  too  cheap  and  too  good, 
turned  to  the  Japanese,  and  are  to-day  bitterly  regret 
ting  the  change. 

Sugar  making  is  the  leading  industry  of  Hawaii 
and  apparently  always  will  remain  so.  Many  of  the 
plantations  and  mills  have  been  capitalised  at  a  figure 
that  necessitates  small  dividends  to  the  shareholders. 
To  produce  even  these  dividends,  the  strictest  economy 
has  to  be  practised,  and  the  price  of  labour  is  naturally 
an  important  consideration.  The  cultivation  of  the 
cane  fields  on  scientific  principles  by  the  use  of  steam 
ploughs  and  the  best  mechanical  cultivators  and  labour- 
saving  devices  will,  in  the  end,  settle  this  troublesome 
question.  The  constant  and  urgent  demands  for  more 
dividends  mean  a  struggle  that  will  result  in  the  sur 
vival  of  the  fittest,  not  only  among  machines  and  man 
agers,  but  also  with  respect  to  labour. 

During  the  two  weeks  we  were  detained  at  Hono 
lulu  we  had  a  fair  chance  to  study  the  habits  of  the 
mosquito.  These  pests  had  only  been  known  in  the 
islands  about  thirty  years,  and  the  way  they  came  was 
interesting.  A  whaler  from  New  Bedford  on  arriving 

22 


Pearl    Harbour 

at  Honolulu  sent  his  water  casks  on  shore  to  be  refilled, 
and  unfortunately  one  of  them  contained  not  only  a 
small  quantity  of  water,  but  a  large  quantity  of  mosqui 
toes.  When  this  water  was  poured  out  preparatory  to 
refilling,  the  mosquitoes  escaped,  and  soon  infested  the 
whole  island.  Although  we  used  the  very  best  mos 
quito  bars,  we  were  made  most  uncomfortable,  partic 
ularly  during  the  night  when  sleep  was  almost  impos 
sible. 

Our  steamer  came  in  time,  and  we  left  the  beautiful 
island  with  regret.  We  had  come  to  know  many  of  the 
warm-hearted,  hospitable  people,  with  whom  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  associate,  and  I  for  one  would  have  gladly 
prolonged  my  visit. 

Before  leaving  I  inspected  Pearl  Harbour,  the  site 
selected  for  our  naval  station,  and  found  it  in  some 
respects  ideal  for  the  purpose.  The  sheet  of  water  is 
ample  and  well  located  for  such  a  station,  but  the  ques 
tion  of  defending  it  after  it  was  built  presented  serious 
difficulties.  The  absence  of  high  land,  on  which  to 
locate  suitable  batteries  to  command  the  sea  and  keep 
an  enemy's  fleet  at  a  safe  distance,  was  the  hardest  one 
to  overcome.  But  this  whole  question  of  the  defence 
of  these  islands  is  a  most  difficult  one,  and  I  am  puzzled 
to  understand  how  any  one,  particularly  a  professional 
man,  can  consider  them  anything  but  a  source  of  weak 
ness  to  us  in  case  of  war  with  any  naval  power  in  the 
Pacific.  Honolulu  is  fed  once  a  week  by  a  steamer 
from  San  Francisco.  Enough  rice  can  possibly  be 
grown  on  the  island  to  meet  the  demands  of  those  who 
eat  rice,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  fruit,  but  in 
other  respects  the  islands  are  not  self-sustaining.  In 

23 


An  Admiral's  Log 

case  of  war  it  will  require  50,000  men  at  least  for  a 
proper  defence,  and  all  these,  with  others  visiting  here, 
must  be  fed  from  the  California  coast.  This  would 
require  a  large  fleet  of  store  ships,  and  they,  in  turn, 
would  require  a  naval  force  strong  enough  to  protect 
them  over  the  2,200  miles  they  would  have  to  sail. 
With  a  determined  enemy,  this  would  mean  all  the 
ships  we  could  assemble  in  the  Pacific.  Some  so-called 
experts  contend  that  these  islands  in  the  hands  of  an 
enemy  would  be  a  source  of  danger  to  the  Pacific 
coast.  I  wonder  if  they  would  hold  that  an  island  two 
hundred  miles  off  the  coast  of  England  would  be  a 
threat  to  our  eastern  coast?  The  distance  for  the 
enemy  to  reach  us  would  be  exactly  the  same. 

Let  us  grant  that  Honolulu  and  Pearl  Harbour  have 
some  value  as  coaling  and  repair  stations,  how  can  we 
defend  the  acquisition  and  retention  of  Samoa?  What 
possible  value  has  the  place  now,  or  can  it  have  in  the 
future?  We  maintain  a  certain  small  quantity  of  coal 
at  Pago  Pago  which,  being  undefended  by  a  single 
gun,  could  be  captured  by  an  enemy  at  his  pleasure. 

The  craze  for  securing  coaling  stations  in  all  sorts 
of  out-of-the-way  places  which  at  one  time  seemed  to 
possess  the  Navy  Department  led  us  into  many  costly 
errors,  I  think.  Other  nations  did  the  same,  and  many 
of  them  are  only  now  awake  to  the  fact  that  coal  for 
naval  purposes  must  be  carried  with  the  fleet,  or  else 
be  so  perfectly  protected  that  an  enemy  cannot  hope  to 
capture  it. 

Upon  my  return  to  Washington,  about  the  middle 
of  December,  I  reported  to  the  President,  and,  as  he 
was  too  busy  to  hear  my  report  at  that  time,  he  invited 

24 


Report  to  the  President 

me  to  dine  with  him  and  the  members  of  his  Cabinet 
when  he  would  have  more  leisure.  Accordingly,  at  the 
time  appointed  I  presented  myself,  and  after  the  dinner 
was  over  the  company  retired  to  a  smoking  room 
where,  cigars  having  been  served,  I  was  invited  to 
make  my  report.  This  I  did  briefly,  but  at  the  same 
time  stating  all  the  important  facts  of  which  I  had 
knowledge. 

A  few  days  later  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Hono 
lulu,  a  graduate  of  Yale,  I  think,  and  a  descendant  of  _^~ 
one  of  the  old  missionary  families  of  the  islands,  whose 
father  had  represented  Hawaii  for  many  years  in 
Washington,  was  summoned  to  the  White  House.  I 
met  him  when  he  arrived  in  the  city,  and  was  amused 
at  his  anxiety  to  know  why  he  had  been  sent  for.  He 
was  immediately  appointed  governor  of  the  islands,  and 
served  many  years  in  that  capacity,  much  to  the  benefit 
of  all  concerned  except  himself.  His  law  business  nec 
essarily  suffered  severely,  but  then  he  had  the  satisfac 
tion  of  doing  his  duty  to  his  country,  which  is  all  many 
of  us  have  to  show  after  a  lifetime  spent  in  the  service. 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE   VISIT   OF   PRINCE   HENRY   OF   PRUSSIA 

IN  January,  1902,  it  was  announced  that  Prince 
Henry  of  Prussia,  brother  of  his  Imperial  Majesty 
Emperor  William,  would  visit  the  United  States  to  wit 
ness  the  launching  of  a  sailing  yacht  which  was  being 
built  for  him  at  Shelter  Island,  near  New  York  city. 
A  few  days  later  I  was  informed  by  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  that  I  was  detailed  as  a  personal  escort  on 
the  staff  of  the  Prince,  and  that  this  detail  was  at  the 
request  of  the  Emperor  conveyed  through  the  German 
ambassador.  Naturally  I  was  much  pleased  at  the 
compliment,  and  felt  that  it  was  the  result  of  my  visit 
to  Kiel,  in  command  of  the  New  York,  on  the  occasion 
of  the  opening  of  the  Kiel  Canal. 

The  President  directed  that  a  board  of  officers  be 
assembled  to  take  the  whole  matter  of  the  reception  and 
entertainment  of  the  Prince  in  hand.  This  board  con 
sisted  of  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  State,  Dr.  Hill, 
General  Corbin  and  Colonel  Bingham  of  the  army, 
Captain  Cowles,  brother-in-law  to  the  President,  and 
myself.  With  the  assistance  of  the  German  ambassa 
dor,  who  was  very  nervous  over  the  whole  matter,  we 
determined  the  places  the  Prince  could  visit.  He 
wanted  to  see  the  whole  country,  but  we  could  only 
arrange  for  him  a  trip  that  would  consume  all  the  time 

26 


Arranging   for  Prince's  Visit 

at  his  disposal  to  the  best  advantage.  When  we  had 
held  one  meeting,  it  was  plain  that  many  people  would 
be  disappointed,  for  we  were  flooded  with  letters  and 
telegrams  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  these  were 
reinforced  by  personal  applications  from  senators  and 
representatives  in  Congress,  which  was  at  that  time  in 
session. 

Mr.  Boyd,  the  able  representative  of  the  Pennsylva 
nia  Railroad,  was  called  in  after  the  bid  of  his  road 
had  been  accepted,  and  the  details  for  the  train  were 
worked  out.  A  train  of  nine  cars  was  decided  upon  as 
necessary  for  the  care  and  comfort  of  the  party,  and  I 
am  safe  in  saying  that  it  was  the  finest  train  ever  seen 
on  this  continent  or,  I  believe,  anywhere  in  the  world. 
Many  of  the  German  officers  composing  the  suite  of 
the  Prince  so  expressed  themselves.  For  all  the  com 
fort  and  luxury  of  the  trip  we  were  indebted  to  Mr. 
Boyd,  whose  absolute  knowledge  of  his  business  en 
abled  him  to  run  the  train  on  time  to  a  second,  and  to 
feed  us  in  a  way  that  would  shame  many  first-class 
hotels  in  New  York.  We  were  never  one  second  late 
at  any  point,  and  we  never  failed  of  an  excellent  meal 
at  the  minute  set  for  it.  Add  to  this  that  our  baggage 
— and  there  was  a  lot  of  it — was  always  in  our  rooms 
at  the  hotels  when  we  arrived,  and  one  can  form  some 
idea  of  what  Mr.  Boyd  had  to  do.  If  I  can  judge  of 
the  Prince's  feelings  by  what  he  said  and  the  presents 
he  gave,  I  am  confident  he  appreciated  this  fine  speci 
men  of  our  railroad  men. 

The  President  was  anxious  above  all  things  for  the 
personal  safety  of  Prince  Henry,  and  to  ensure  it  he 
put  me  in  touch  with  Chief  Wilkie  of  the  Secret  Serv- 

27 


An  Admiral's  Log 

ice  of  the  Treasury  Department,  who  had  the  means, 
if  any  one  in  the  world  had,  to  properly  guard  our  royal 
guest.  The  German  ambassador  was  most  anxious  at 
all  times,  but  I  did  not  share  this  anxiety,  for  I  saw  no 
reason  for  it.  I  did  not  believe  that  any  considerable 
number  of  people  wanted  to  injure  or  offend  a  guest 
of  the  United  States.  However,  it  was  not  a  question 
of  what  I,  or  any  one  else,  thought.  It  \vas  to  carry  out 
the  orders  of  the  President  and  leave  nothing  undone, 
in  order  that  the  Prince  should  be  protected  from  injury 
or  insult. 

Chief  Wilkie  worked  with  energy  and  perfect  sys 
tem,  and  before  many  days  had  passed  every  anarchist 
of  much  importance  was  under  observation.  Each  one 
had  a  friend  w7ho  observed  him  carefully;  in  some 
special  cases  these  friends  even  went  so  far  as  to  dine 
with  the  objectionable  people  and  then  accompany  them 
to  the  theatre  or  some  other  place  of  amusement.  In 
this  way  we  very  soon  knew  what  the  most  prominent 
anarchists  were  doing,  saying,  and  thinking.  So  com 
plete  was  the  system  by  which  all  this  was  done  that 
Wilkie  felt  confident  that  he  would  know  in  advance  if 
any  mischief  was  contemplated ;  and  yet  I  am  sure  only 
three  men  knew  what  was  going  on. 

The  only  case  that  really  threatened  to  give  serious 
trouble  was  that  of  a  doctor  in  New  York  who  had 
prepared  and  printed  a  most  villainous  attack  on  the 
Prince.  The  pamphlet  containing  this  attack  was  a 
very  innocent-looking  document  with  a  flattering 
notice  of  the  Prince  on  the  cover  which  would  have 
caused  one  to  read  the  contents.  Wilkie  secured  one 
of  the  advance  copies,  and  the  entire  edition  of  25,000 

28 


A  Special-Service  Squadron 

copies  was  burned  before  the  ink  was  dry.  The  author 
was  not  at  liberty  to  do  harm  in  any  other  direction 
until  the  royal  guest  and  his  party  had  left  the  United 
States.  Many  of  the  more  violent  among  the  an 
archists  were  locked  up,  and  found  habeas  corpus  pro 
ceedings  so  slow  that  they  only  regained  their  liberty 
when  it  was  too  late  for  them  to  do  any  harm.  I  was 
very  near  Prince  Henry  night  and  day  during  the 
entire  time  he  was  in  the  country,  and  if  anything  had 
been  done  to  offend  or  annoy  him  I  am  sure  I  should 
have  heard  or  seen  it ;  but  nothing  of  the  kind  occurred. 
I  am  sure  Chief  Wilkie  and  his  able  assistants,  who 
were  constantly  with  us,  would  testify  to  the  same 
effect.  Men  and  women  were,  as  a  rule,  deferential, 
polite,  and  respectful,  but  the  irrepressible  American 
gamin  could  not  always  be  controlled,  and  he  some 
times  called  out,  "  Hello,  Henry,  come  out  and  have 
a  beer !  "  or  amused  himself  in  the  middle  of  the  night 
by  rattling  the  side  of  the  sleeper  with  a  stick. 

Prince  Henry  was  a  man  with  sufficient  experience 
to  give  these  demonstrations  their  correct  value,  and 
he  must  have  felt  from  the  first  how  completely  the 
people  of  the  United  States  were  with  him  in  feeling. 
If  he  ever  felt  the  least  annoyance  oVer  any  incident  of 
his  visit,  I  am  sure  I  should  have  known  it,  for  my 
relations  with  him  were  of  the  most  intimate  and  confi 
dential  nature. 

Before  the  arrival  of  Prince  Henry,  the  Navy  De 
partment  ordered  a  special-service  squadron  of  three 
cruisers  and  a  battleship  to  assemble  off  Tompkins- 
ville,  under  my  command,  to  extend  proper  courtesies 
to  him  when  he  came.  The  battleship  Illinois  was  as- 

29 


An  Admiral's  Log 

signed  as  my  flagship.  Captain  Converse,  who  has 
since  died  as  a  rear-admiral  after  a  most  distinguished 
and  useful  career,  commanded  the  Illinois,  and  had  his 
ship  in  most  perfect  condition,  and  later  on  it  was  a 
source  of  great  pleasure  to  show  the  Prince  and  his 
officers  every  part  of  her,  from  double  bottoms  to  mili 
tary  tops. 

1  About  one  week  before  the  Prince  was  due,  the 
Emperor's  yacht,  the  Hohenzollern,  in  command  of 
Captain  Count  Baudissin  of  the  Imperial  German  Navy, 
arrived  in  New  York  harbour  and  was  berthed  in  a  con 
venient  slip  in  the  North  river.  Owing  to  the  small 
amount  of  coal  she  could  carry,  she  had  been  com 
pelled  to  come  by  way  of  the  Azores  and  St.  Thomas. 
Once  in  her  berth,  she  furnished,  as  it  was  intended 
she  should  do,  royal  quarters  for  the  Prince  and  his 
officers,  where  they  could  entertain  as  much  or  as 
little  as  he  should  choose  and  at  the  same  time  be 
absolutely  free  from  intrusion.  A  picked  lot  of 
policemen  and  detectives  had  full  charge  of  the 
neighbourhood  and  kept  a  sharp  eye  on  all  suspicious 
persons. 

When  the  ocean  liner  bearing  Prince  Henry  finally 
arrived,  I  hurried  on  board  with  my  staff  to  welcome 
him.  We  managed  to  board  her  in  the  lower  bay 
and  go  up  to  the  city  with  him.  It  was  a  beau 
tiful,  sharp  February  morning  and  the  crisp  air  was 
entirely  free  from  smoke.  A  light  fall  of  snow  of 
the  night  before  remained,  and  covered  the  ground 
and  shrubbery  so  that  they  appeared  to  the  best 
advantage.  As  we  passed  the  special-service  squad 
ron,  they  saluted  his  Royal  Highness  with  twenty-one 

30 


Arrival  of  Prince  Henry 

guns.  All  the  vessels  in  the  harbour  owning  steam 
whistles  pulled  them  wide  open,  and  the  din  was  deaf 
ening. 

There  is  always  something  more  or  less  formal 
about  naval  special  full-dress  uniform;  it  is  intended 
for  occasions  of  special  ceremony,  and  a  welcome  in 
this  dress  must  be  formal.  When  I  addressed  Prince 
Henry  and  welcomed  him  to  the  United  States  on  the 
part  of  the  Navy,  it  was  charming  to  see  the  ease  with 
which  he  banished  all  formality. 

"  I  thank  you  and  your  brother  officers,  Admiral,  for 
your  welcome."  And  then,  quick  as  a  flash :  "  My 
dear  Evans,  it  is  such  a  pleasure  to  be  welcomed  first 
by  an  old  friend."  After  this,  all  informality  disap 
peared  and  was  replaced  by  the  strictest  official  courtesy 
and  etiquette. 

As  the  Kronprinz  steamed  up  the  harbour  Prince 
Henry  observed  everything  minutely.  I  stood  on  the 
bridge  with  him  and  pointed  out  to  him  the  different 
objects  of  interest.  New  York  lower  bay,  in  setting  of 
snow,  was  almost  beautiful,  certainly  it  was  attractive, 
but  the  city  itself  when  it  finally  came  into  view  was 
ugly  beyond  words  to  describe.  The  straggling  masses 
of  skyscrapers,  no  two  of  them  the  same  shape  or  size 
and  surrounded  by  low,  ugly,  squalid  buildings,  did  not 
impress  any  one  even  with  a  sense  of  grandeur.  The 
Prince  gave  us  to  understand  that,  while  he  was  inter 
ested  in  the  subject  of  architecture,  the  real  object  of 
his  visit  was  to  see  the  American  people,  and  during  his 
entire  visit  this  was  never  lost  sight  of — to  see  the 
American  people  and  as  much  of  them  as  possible  in 
the  time  at  his  disposal. 


An  Admiral's  Log 

As  the  great  ocean  liner  approached  her  dock,  six 
tugs  put  their  noses  against  her  starboard  side  and 
quickly  turned  her  against  the  strong  current  of  the 
river  and  slipped  her  into  her  berth  without  so  much 
as  scratching  the  paint  on  her  side.  Prince  Henry 
watched  this  work  with  the  interest  natural  to  one  of 
his  professional  attainments.  He  knew  what  he  was 
looking  at,  and  he  also  knew  how  well  it  was  being 
done,  and,  further,  that  it  could  not  be  so  well  done 
anywhere  else  in  the  world.  When  the  ship  had  been 
docked  and  the  gangplank,  covered  with  American  and 
German  flags,  lowered  into  place,  I  passed  out  with  my 
staff  and  formed  line  on  the  dock  near  the  Hohenzol- 
lern.  As  his  Royal  Highness  came  down,  we  stood  at 
salute,  and  I  said  to  him : 

"  Prince  Henry,  I  beg  to  welcome  you  to  American 
soil." 

To  which  he  replied  with  a  smile : 

"  It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  know  that  it  is  an  old 
friend  who  welcomes  me  first."  Then  he  passed  over 
the  side  of  the  Hohenzollern  and  the  reception,  so  far 
as  I  was  concerned,  was  at  an  end. 

The  customary  visits  of  courtesy  followed  at  once. 
Calls  were  made  by  the  German  ambassador;  the  offi 
cers  representing  our  government,  headed  by  the 
Assistant  Secretary  of  State;  Admiral  Barker,  Com 
mandant  of  the  Navy  Yard;  General  Brooks,  com 
manding  the  Department  of  the  East;  and,  finally,  by 
Mr.  Seth  Low,  mayor  of  the  city  of  New  York.  It 
was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  all  these  visits  had 
been  returned,  but  the  Prince  insisted  that  dinner  could 
wait  until  he  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  my  flagship. 

32 


Reception  by  German   Societies 

A  tug  conveyed  us  to  Tompkinsville,  where  he  in 
spected  the  Illinois  very  thoroughly,  and  expressed  him 
self  as  highly  pleased  with  her  condition  and  every 
thing  about  her.  Then  we  returned  to  the  royal  yacht, 
where  dinner  was  served  and  the  officers  prepared  for 
the  first  night  in  America. 

That  night  Prince  Henry  had  his  first  glimpse  of 
German  America.  He  visited  the  Deutsche  Verein,  and 
there  heard  for  the  first  time  in  America  the  German 
singing  which  was  to  be  a  feature  of  his  whole  trip. 
The  song  commemorating  the  sinking  of  a  German  tor 
pedo  boat  at  sea,  off  the  coast  of  China,  was  superbly 
rendered  by  a  chorus  of  more  than  one  hundred  male 
voices,  and  was  repeated  at  the  request  of  the  Prince. 
Then  he  reviewed  a  torchlight  procession  of  German 
societies  from  one  of  the  balconies  on  the  fifth  story  of 
the  club-house.  It  was  a  scene  long  to  be  remembered 
by  those  who  witnessed  it.  Park  Avenue,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  was  a  dense  mass  of  Germans,  with  a 
blaze  of  light  through  the  middle  of  the  street.  As  each 
club  or  society  came  before,  the  balcony  its  members 
cheered  and  saluted  the  Prince.  One  of  his  aides  stood 
by,  watch  in  hand,  timing  the  men  as  they  marched 
past,  and  after  twenty-five  or  thirty  counts  this  officer 
reported  that  they  were  passing  at  the  rate  of  two  hun 
dred  a  minute,  and  that  the  end  of  the  procession  would 
pass  at  a  certain  time,  which  it  did  within  half  a  minute. 
When  the  end  of  the  procession  approached,  I  said  to 
Prince  Henry : 

"  Will  you  kindly  step  to  the  end  of  the  balcony 
when  the  procession  has  passed?  The  people  would 
like  to  have  a  look  at  you."  Every  available  space 

33 


An  Admiral's  Log 

was  jammed  with  people,  and  as  he  appeared  there 
arose  a  German-American  roar  that  can  never  be  for 
gotten. 

Our  German  population  was  naturally  a  source  of 
much  interest  to  Prince  Henry.  He  wanted  to  know 
and  to  hear  what  they  thought  of  many  things,  but  he 
also  wanted  to  know  what  we  Americans  thought  of 
them,  and  he  was  immensely  pleased  when  we  com 
mended  them  as  good  citizens.  In  every  speech  to 
them  he  said  that  they  could  best  show  their  love  for 
the  Fatherland  by  being  loyal  to  their  adopted  country, 
America.  Though  holding  himself  well  in  hand  and 
under  perfect  control,  the  Prince  was  as  emotional  and 
sensitive  as  a  girl,  and  whenever  he  saw  the  German 
veterans  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War  the  tears  were 
very  near  the  surface.  Later  on,  in  Milwaukee,  several 
hundred  of  the  soldiers  of  '70-^7 1  were  drawn  up  for 
his  inspection.  Both  he  and  the  distinguished  officers 
of  his  party  stopped  and  spoke  to  the  old  men,  and  the 
greeting  was  most  cordial  and  striking. 

The  day  following  the  landing  in  New  York  the 
Prince  and  his  party  proceeded  to  Washington  to  meet 
the  President  and  deliver  the  messages  of  his  Majesty, 
the  Emperor.  In  the  evening  he  dined  with  President 
Roosevelt,  and  to  meet  him  some  of  the  most  distin 
guished  men  of  the  nation  had  been  asked  to  the  White 
House.  During  his  personal  interviews  no  one  was 
allowed  to  be  present,  and  what  was  said  by  either 
Prince  or  President  must  remain  a  secret  until  one  or 
the  other  may  choose  to  speak.  It  was  plain  from  their 
faces  afterwards,  however,  that  nothing  unpleasant  had 
taken  place.  After  the  interview  they  both  seemed  to 

34 


The  Prince  and  Congress 

enjoy  a  long  horseback  ride  across  country,   though 
they  came  back  from  it  drenched  to  the  skin. 

On  February  24th  it  was  arranged  that  Prince 
Henry  should  have  a  look  at  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  which  was  then  in  session.  We  drove 
to  the  Capitol  and  were  given  seats  in  the  diplomatic 
gallery  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  where  we  sat 
for  half  an  hour  and  listened  to  the  talk  of  some  mem 
ber  who  left  on  our  minds  only  one  impression — how 
frequently  he  could  murder  the  King's  English.  The 
plan  for  us  after  this  was  to  proceed  to  the  diplomatic 
gallery  of  the  Senate,  but  this  was  only  partially  carried 
out.  The  members  of  the  staff  were  shown  into  that 
gallery,  but  the  Prince  and  his  personal  aides  were 
shown  into  the  Vice-President's  room.  Senators  Mor 
gan,  Frye,  and  Lodge  then  conducted  us  onto  the  floor 
of  the  Senate.  The  Vice-President  invited  his  Royal 
Highness  to  take  the  seat  of  the  presiding  officer,  which 
he  declined,  but  accepted  a  seat  by  his  side,  and  the 
Senate  went  on  with  its  work.  This  unusual  courtesy 
was  perfectly  understood  by  the  Prince  and  fully  ap 
preciated  by  him.  It  brought  home  to  him  in  the 
strongest  way  the  feeling  of  friendship  entertained  for 
him  by  the  people  of  this  country.  Mr.  Bailey,  senator 
from  Texas,  was  speaking  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  and 
Prince  Henry  was  impressed,  as  I  was,  with  the 
strength  of  his  argument.  He  was  claiming  that  it  was 
doubtful  if  the  Senate  had  the  right  to  suspend  a  sen 
ator — that  it  had  the  right  to  dismiss  a  member,  and  in 
that  case  another  could  be  provided  to  fill  the  place, 
but  in  the  case  of  suspension  the  state  would  be  without 
proper  representation. 

35 


An  Admiral's  Log 

On  February  25th  a  distinguished  party  assembled 
to  witness  the  launching  of  the  Emperor's  yacht,  the 
Meteor.  A  special  train  conveyed  the  President  and 
his  friends  to  Jersey  City,  and  a  second  train  carried 
Prince  Henry  and  his  party.  The  two  trains  were 
housed  in  the  depot  at  the  same  time,  and  from  them 
the  whole  party  was  taken  on  board  a  special  Pennsyl 
vania  ferryboat  to  the  shipyard  at  Shelter  Island  to 
witness  the  launching.  The  ferryboat  was  decorated 
with  flags,  as  became  the  occasion,  the  President's  flag 
at  one  side,  Prince  Henry's  standard  on  the  other,  and 
the  American  flag  above  all.  The  weather  was  foggy 
and  very  cold,  but  even  this  could  not  prevent  the 
enthusiastic  crowds  from  making  themselves  heard. 

The  launching  of  the  Meteor  and  her  christening 
by  Miss  Alice  Roosevelt  were  in  every  way  successful 
and  perfect.  There  are  always  people  wishing  to  make 
trouble,  and  on  this  occasion  some  one  raised  the  point 
that  the  vessel  should  be  launched  flying  the  German 
flag,  and  immediately  some  one  else  claimed  that  she 
should  fly  the  American  flag.  This  caused  some  feel 
ing,  and  it  looked  as  if  there  might  be  trouble  over  so 
simple  a  thing.  Of  course,  it  was  not  a  question  for  me 
to  settle;  in  fact,  it  was  none  of  my  business,  and  I 
would  not  have  said  a  word  about  it  if  one  of  the  Ger 
man  officers  who  was  to  take  the  yacht  home  had  not 
asked  me  to  do  so.  I  asked  him  if  the  Meteor  had  been 
paid  for,  and  he  replied  that  she  had  not.  Then,  I  said, 
as  she  belonged  to  the  people  who  built  her,  it  would 
seem  proper  that  she  should  fly  their  flag  until  her  con 
dition  changed.  When  she  had  been  paid  for,  cleared 
for  a  German  port,  under  command  of  a  German  cap- 

36 


Launching  of  the  Meteor 

tain,  it  would  be  proper  and  fitting  for  her  to  fly  the 
German  flag,  and  not  before.  This  seemed  so  simple  a 
solution  of  the  question  that  every  one  accepted  it,  and 
the  matter  was  never  heard  of  again. 

After  the  launching,  a  beautiful  luncheon  was 
served,  the  usual  number  of  speeches  were  made,  and 
the  party  returned  to  New  York  city  to  dine  on  board 
the  Hohenzollern.  The  caterer  who  furnished  and 
served  the  luncheon  was  the  victim  of  a  peculiar  Amer 
ican  custom.  All  his  table  furniture  was  stolen  and 
carried  off  as  souvenirs.  Years  afterwards  he  ap 
pealed  to  me  to  help  him  in  some  way,  if  I  could,  to 
recover  the  value  of  his  property.  I  was  very  sorry  for 
the  man,  but  could  do  nothing  to  help  him.  When  I 
had  told  him  of  some  of  our  experiences  on  board  ves 
sels  of  the  navy,  where  we  had  lost  practically  every 
thing  we  owned,  he  seemed  to  feel  his  losses  less  keenly. 
In  later  years  we  were  all  made  to  blush  by  these  same 
souvenir  thieves  when  they  stole  from  the  officers  of  an 
Italian  cruiser,  who  had  given  a  reception,  all  their 
jewelry  and  personal  belongings. 

After  luncheon  on  the  Hohenzollern,  and  when  the 
President  and  his  party  left  for  Washington,  Prince 
Henry  started  for  the  City  Hall  to  receive  the  freedom 
of  the  city  of  New  York.  The  weather  was  very  bad ; 
it  was  blowing  a  northeast  gale,  with  rain  and  occa 
sional  snow,  and  to  make  the  trip  as  easily  as  possible 
I  took  him  on  a  navy-yard  tug  as  far  as  the  Battery, 
where  carriages  were  in  waiting.  At  this  point  oc 
curred  one  of  those  incidents  which  had  much  to  do 
in  shaping  American  sentiment  toward  him.  As  the 
tug  drew  up  to  the  landing,  Prince  Henry  noticed  that 
4  37 


An  Admiral's  Log 

our  carriages  were  closed,  and  at  the  same  time  he  saw 
the  dripping  multitude,  facing  the  northeast  storm, 
waiting  to  welcome  him.  Turning  to  me,  he  said: 

"  Evans,  please  have  the  carriages  opened.  If  the 
people  can  stand  in  the  rain  to  see  me,  I  can  surely  sit 
in  the  rain  to  see  them !  " 

As  the  first  carriage  was  opened  and  the  crowd  un 
derstood  what  was  being  done,  the  cheers  began,  and 
soon  the  streets  were  filled  with  a  wet  mass  of  cheering 
humanity.  And  so  we  rode  to  the  City  Hall,  all  of  us 
thoroughly  soaked,  our  special  full-dress  uniforms  drip 
ping  wet  and  the  icy  water  trickling  down  our  backs, 
but  in  no  way  worse  off  than  the  honest  Americans 
who  were  welcoming  the  Prince. 

It  was  a  pleasure  at  this  time  to  watch  the  crowds 
and  observe  the  changing  expressions  of  the  faces. 
Most  of  them  were  serious  at  first,  and  when  they 
caught  sight  of  Prince  Henry's  face  this  quickly 
changed  into  smiles,  and  then  came  handclapping  and 
cheers.  It  was  one  of  the  most  striking  things  I  ever 
saw.  Repeated  elsewhere  and  often  afterwards,  it 
showed  me  that  it  was  the  personality  of  the  man  that 
was  winning  him  friends,  and  not  any  idle  curiosity 
about  a  Prince.  He  captured  them  all,  men  and 
women,  big  and  little,  young  and  old,  as  soon  as  they 
had  one  look  at  his  smiling  face. 

At  the  City  Hall  we  were  met  by  the  mayor  and 
members  of  the  city  government.  The  freedom  of  the 
city  was  presented  to  his  Royal  Highness  in  a  beautiful 
silver  casket  by  Mayor  Seth  Low  in  a  short,  eloquent 
address.  I  have  heard  many  addresses  of  various  kinds 
in  my  life,  under  all  kinds  of  conditions,  but  never  be- 

38 


The  Prince's  Escort 

fore  or  since  have  I  heard  anything  finer  than  this  one 
from  Mayor  Low.  As  Prince  Henry  said  of  it  after 
wards,  "  it  was  polished  and  brilliant  in  every  phrase." 

When  the  ceremony  was  over  we  drove  back  to  the 
Hohenzollern  through  the  city.  The  streets  were 
crowded  with  people,  and  the  pelting  rain  and  driving 
snow  treated  us  all  impartially,  wetting  us  to  the  skin, 
or  rather  keeping  us  wet  to  the  skin,  for  we  had  been 
in  that  condition  for  several  hours. 

Every  hour  of  Prince  Henry's  time  while  in  New 
York  had  been  covered  by  a  programme  which  was 
made  up,  generally  speaking,  of  public  receptions.  The 
night  after  he  had  received  the  freedom  of  the  city  and 
such  a  thorough  wetting,  he  was  to  appear  at  the  Metro 
politan  Opera,  where  a  special  performance  was  to  be 
given  in  his  honour.  As  soon  as  we  had  changed  our 
clothing  and  eaten  a  hasty  dinner  we  started.  The 
weather  by  this  time  had  become  very  cold  and  the 
streets  were  a  sheet  of  ice.  In  addition  to  the  guard  of 
mounted  police,  Squadron  A,  the  crack  New  York  cav 
alry  organisation,  had  asked  to  be  allowed  the  honour 
of  escorting  the  Prince,  and  this  request  was  granted. 
We  were  a  little  late  in  starting  from  the  Hohenzollern, 
and  in  order  to  make  up  the  time  we  had  to  drive  at 
rather  a  rapid  pace,  considering  the  condition  of  the 
streets. 

We  had  gone  a  few  blocks  only  when  one  of  the 
cavalrymen  received  what  looked  like  a  very  ugly  fall. 
The  horse  slipped  on  the  icy  street  and  went  down, 
landing  apparently  on  top  of  the  rider.  In  a  moment 
the  young  man  was  up  and,  before  we  could  see  what 
damage  had  been  done,  quickly  remounted  the  animal 

39 


An  Admiral's  Log 

and  darted  back  to  his  place.  Prince  Henry  called  a 
mounted  policeman  and  asked  that  this  soldier  be  sent 
back  to  report  to  him,  as  he  had  something  to  say  to 
him.  I  watched  the  incident  with  interest,  as  I  felt 
pretty  sure  of  what  would  happen. 

The  soldier  wheeled  his  horse  and  reported  smartly 
to  the  Prince,  who  complimented  him  on  his  horseman 
ship,  hoped  he  was  not  hurt,  and  shook  hands  with  him. 
Then  the  horses  began  falling  rapidly.  There  was 
quite  a  string  of  them  coming  back  to  be  complimented 
and  to  shake  hands  with  his  Royal  Highness,  and, 
while  the  condition  of  the  streets  may  have  accounted 
for  many  of  the  falls,  I  have  always  felt  that  some  of 
them  could  not  be  accounted  for  in  this  way.  On  our 
return  trip  that  night  to  the  Hohenzollern  we  drove 
through  the  middle  of  the  street  at  a  walk,  and  the 
cavalry  escort  rode  on  the.  sidewalks,  thus  preventing 
accidents. 


CHAPTER    V 

PRINCE    HENRY   IN    THE    WEST 

WHEN  we  started  on  our  western  trip,  one  of  the 
first  requests  made  by  Prince  Henry  was  that  he  be  al 
lowed  to  ride  on  a  locomotive.  He  was  fond  of  driving 
a  torpedo  boat  at  top  speed,  and,  being  many  kinds  of 
an  engineer,  wished  to  see  what  an  American  locomotive 
could  do.  The  conditions  at  the  time  were  not  the  very 
best  for  safety,  as  it  had  been  raining  hard  for  many 
days,  causing  several  washouts  on  the  road  ahead  of  us. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  German  ambassador,  who  ac 
companied  the  party,  objected  to  his  doing  it.  How 
ever,  it  was  finally  arranged  that  he  should  have  his 
ride,  and  accordingly  at  Summit  he  mounted  the  120- 
ton  locomotive  that  drew  our  train.  Mr.  Boyd,  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad,  went  with  him,  and  after  going 
about  one  hundred  miles  he  came  back  to  his  car  as 
black  as  a  chimney  sweep,  but  vowing  that  he  had  had  a 
splendid  trip.  His  manner  to  the  men  on  the  locomo 
tive  and  those  working  about  it  was  so  democratic  and 
natural,  and  withal  so  knowing,  that  they  were  all  his 
devoted  admirers.  And  the  same  may  be  said  of  about 
ninety-nine  per  cent  of  the  people  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact  during  his  visit  to  this  country.  Since  his 
return  to  Germany,  Prince  Henry  has  been  one  of  the 


An  Admiral's  Log 

leading  men  there  in  developing-  the  fastest  motor  cars 
and  the  best  balloons  and  aeroplanes. 

When  the  train  was  fairly  started  on  our  western 
trip,  we  soon  settled  down  into  real  comfort.  The  car 
occupied  by  the  Prince  was  at  the  rear  of  the  train,  so 
that  he  could  conveniently  show  himself  when  occasion 
demanded,  and  this  was  really  at  every  town  or  city 
through  which  we  passed.  The  rear  end  of  the  car  was 
used  for  dining  and  observation  purposes.  The  rest  of 
it  was  taken  up  with  state-rooms,  in  which  were  berthed 
Prince  Henry,  Commodore  Seckendorf,  the  chief  of  his 
household,  his  personal  servant,  and  myself.  Other 
cars  on  the  train  held  the  rest  of  the  party,  and  they  all 
took  their  meals  in  one  or  two  dining  cars.  When 
the  Prince  had  completed  his  toilet  in  the  morning, 
usually  about  seven  o'clock,  the  chief  of  his  household 
and  the  adjutant  for  the  day  were  summoned  and  trans 
acted  such  business  as  was  necessary.  Among  other 
things,  they  prepared  the  invitations  for  dinner  for 
those  who  were  to  dine  with  him  in  addition  to  the 
regular  party.  Each  day  found  the  division  superin 
tendent  of  the  road  on  which  we  were  riding  on 
board  the  train,  and  he  was  always  invited.  Then 
one  or  two  members  of  his  own  party  and  as  many 
of  the  committee  completed  the  group  around  the  table. 
The  German  ambassador  and  Admiral  von  Tirpitz, 
Secretary  of  the  German  Navy,  dined  with  us  every 
day. 

The  cars  were  supplied  with  every  luxury  in  the 
way  of  meat  and  drink,  the  service  was  excellent,  and 
our  meals  a  time  of  pleasure  and  enjoyment.  The  Ger 
man  officers  were  all  experts  in  their  several  lines,  spoke 

42 


On  the   Prince's  Train 

English  well,  and  never  hesitated  to  say  just  what  they 
thought  about  any  professional  subject  that  happened 
to  be  under  discussion.  So  we  came,  before  the  end  of 
the  trip,  to  know  the  German  side  of  many  questions  that 
had  been  as  a  sealed  book  to  us  before.  After  break 
fast  had  been  served,  we  gave  our  time  to  observing  the 
country  through  which  we  were  passing.  Many  times 
Chief  Wilkie  joined  the  party  and  amused  us  all  with 
his  witty  and  wonderful  stories.  Dinner  was  the 
formal  meal  of  the  day,  but  only  formal  as  compared 
with  our  breakfast  and  luncheon.  The  Prince  was 
always  democratic  and  most  entertaining,  seemed  never 
to  be  playing  the  part  of  a  Prince,  but  no  one  in  the 
party  ever  forgot  that  he  was  one,  and  a  jolly  good  one 
at  that. 

When  Prince  Henry  had  retired,  which  was  usually 
at  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  one  of  my  most 
important  duties  had  to  be  attended  to.  Wilkie  would 
come  in  with  the  mass  of  telegrams  from  stations  ahead 
of  us,  and  these  had  to  be  carefully  read  and  disposed 
of.  They  came  generally  from  police  authorities,  but 
sometimes  from  all  manner  of  people.  We  had  quite  a 
number  like  this : 


'  Turn  back  your  train  at  once.    The  Prince  will  be 
shot  at  one  P.M.  to-morrow!  " 


Of  course  these  went  quickly  into  the  paper  basket, 
for  we  knew  that  if  any  one  was  going  to  shoot  him 
we  would  not  be  told  in  advance.  When  all  the  mes 
sages  had  been  gone  over  carefully,  Wilkie  would  turn 
in,  but  always  left  one  of  his  men  on  duty  in  the  car. 

43 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Then  Mr.  Boyd  would  come  in  for  a  few  minutes  and 
chat  about  matters  connected  with  the  train,  after  which 
I  could  consider  my  day's  work  completed  and  retire  to 
my  bed. 

The  reception  of  the  royal  party  at  St.  Louis  was 
magnificent,  as  was  to  be  expected  from  a  city  which 
claimed  as  German  one-half  of  its  population.  Gov 
ernor  Francis,  one  of  the  most  dignified  ^and  polished 
gentlemen  this  country  has  ever  produced,  was  at  the 
head  of  the  reception  committee,  and  that  meant  that 
everything  would  be  done  in  a  dignified  and  proper 
way.  The  railroad  station  was  surrounded  by  a  surg 
ing  mass  of  enthusiastic,  orderly  people,  all  anxious  for 
a  sight  of  the  distinguished  visitor.  A  large  number  of 
police  were  on  duty,  and  a  fine  mounted  escort  was  in 
readiness. 

When  we  had  left  the  depot  we  found  the  streets 
thronged  with  people,  all  of  them  keeping  to  the  side 
walks  and  no  effort  being  made  to  crowd  the  carriage. 
Prince  Henry  and  Governor  Francis  sat  on  the  after 
seat  and,  of  course,  Wilkie  and  I  on  the  other,  with  a 
Secret  Service  officer  on  the  box  with  the  driver.  As  we 
passed  through  the  principal  streets  of  the  city  the  peo 
ple  showed  great  enthusiasm;  particularly  was  this  the 
case  with  the  women.  This  led  to  a  very  amusing  inci 
dent.  Wilkie,  who  had  been  watching  everything  in  a 
keen,  businesslike  way,  turned  to  Prince  Henry  and 
Governor  Francis  and  said : 

"  Some  of  the  most  noted  pickpockets  of  the  coun 
try  are  here  to-day,  and  I  have  been  watching  them 
reap  a  rich  harvest." 

We  were  all  attention  at  once,  and  he  pointed  out 
44 


Arrival  at  St.  Louis 

to  us  how  the  game  was  being  played.  The  women 
were  crowded  out  close  to  the  curbing  of  the  sidewalk, 
and  as  we  approached  they  raised  both  hands  to  wave  a 
welcome  to  the  Prince,  which  many  of  them  did  with 
red,  hysterical  faces.  This  was  the  chance  for  the 
"  crooks,"  who  would  dodge  in  front  of  them  and  with 
some  sharp  instrument  quickly  relieve  them  of  the 
small  bags  hanging  about  their  waists,  which  usually 
contained  their  valuables  and  money.  It  was  amusing, 
as  well  as  instructive,  to  see  how  quickly  and  completely 
this  could  be  done,  and  how  soon  the  offender  was 
safely  hidden  in  the  crowd.  They  disappeared  like  rats 
running  into  a  hole.  If  this  part  was  amusing,  it  cer 
tainly  was  pathetic  to  see  the  faces  of  the  women 
and  hear  their  screams  when  they  discovered  their  loss. 
I  am  sure  that  we  saw  at  least  half  a  dozen  of  the  most 
noted  pickpockets  in  the  United  States  actually  plying 
their  trade — a  novel  experience,  and  one  not  likely  to  be 
repeated. 

During  the  whole  of  our  ride  I  was  anxiously 
watching  the  crowd  for  some  indication  of  unfriendly 
feeling  toward  our  guest.  I  was  sure  that  if  such  feel 
ing  were  ever  shown,  it  would  be  in  some  city  with 
a  large  German  or  Polish  population. 

A  short  time  after  we  started  from  the  railroad  sta 
tion  I  noticed  a  large,  rough-looking  man,  apparently 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  who  was  following  our 
carriage.  He  ran  along  in  the  rear  of  the  crowd,  in  the 
open  space  between  the  crowd  and  the  fronts  of  the 
houses,  and  as  he  loped  along  he  kept  his  eyes  con 
stantly  on  us.  After  watching  him  for  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes,  I  called  Wilkie's  attention  to  him,  and  he,  in 

45 


An  Admiral's  Log 

turn,  spoke  a  few  words  in  an  undertone  to  the  detec 
tive  on  the  box,  who  said  quietly : 

"  All  right ;  been  watching  him ;  has  no  gun !  " 

Wilkie  then  told  me  that  he  had  had  his  eyes  on  this 
man  from  the  moment  he  first  started  after  us,  and  was 
satisfied  that  there  was  no  harm  in  him.  It  was  inter 
esting,  as  well  as  very  assuring,  to  see  how  well  these 
efficient  Secret  Service  officers  knew  their  business. 

We  had  a  long,  rapid  ride  through  the  beautiful 
streets  of  St.  Louis,  then  a  splendid  banquet,  and  after 
wards  a  quiet  night  on  our  train,  where  we  discussed 
the  events  of  the  day  and  viewed  the  presents  that  had 
been  sent  to  the  Prince.  As  I  recall  it  now,  the  most 
amusing  event  of  the  day  was  the  inability  of  the  chief 
of  police  to  ride  a  spirited  charger  that  had  been  pro 
vided  for  the  purpose.  The  chief  was  a  very  large,  fat 
man,  who  did  not  look  like  one  given  to  much  horse 
back  exercise.  However,  he  made  several  desperate 
efforts,  and  only  gave  up  after  a  bad  fall.  The  horse, 
a  fine  specimen,  behaved  as  if  he  had  never  before 
heard  a  military  band.  He  certainly  did  tricks  enough 
to  put  him  in  the  Wild  West  Show,  where  he  would 
have  done  himself  credit. 

When  we  were  passing  through  the  manufacturing 
part  of  the  city  a  workman  leaned  out  of  a  window  in 
the  tenth  or  twelfth  story  and,  using  a  long  megaphone, 
called  out :  "  Hello,  Henry,  how  are  you,  and  how 
is  your  brother  William  ?  "  Many  times  people  on  the 
streets  called  out,  "  How  are  you,  Prince  Henry  ?  "  and 
he  always  smiled  and  answered,  "  Very  well,  thank 
you.  How  are  you  ?  "  It  was  this  complete  under 
standing  of  the  democratic  manners  of  our  middle 


At  Chattanooga 

classes  that  made  the  Prince  so  popular  with  the  com 
mon  people.  Of  course,  he  never  heard  such  things 
from  those  who  understood  what  was  due  to  royalty. 

At  Chattanooga  we  were  joined  by  General  Boyn- 
ton  and  a  local  committee,  who  conducted  us  to  Look 
out  Mountain  and  explained  in  detail  to  the  German 
officers  the  great  battle  fought  at  this  point  during  the 
Civil  War.  While  the  general  gave  his  description  the 
officers  stood  about  him  in  a  picturesque  group  and 
listened,  as  only  real  military  men  can  listen,  to  the 
story  of  one  of  the  greatest  battles  of  history.  General 
von  Plessen,  the  chief  of  staff  of  the  German  army, 
was  one  of  the  party,  and  it  was  only  necessary  to  hear 
a  few  of  his  questions  to  know  that  he  had  made  a 
searching  and  deep  study  of  this  particular  campaign. 
As  the  historian  of  so  many  of  the  great  battles  of  the 
war,  General  Boynton  was  able  to  point  out  exactly 
how  each  brigade  and  division  was  manoeuvred  in  this 
contest.  At  times  one  could  almost  see  the  men  in  blue 
uniform  driving  back  their  gallant  enemies  far  above 
the  clouds.  I  watched  with  interest  the  faces  of  the 
German  officers  while  they  listened  to  the  brilliant  de 
scription,  and  it  was  plain  to  see  from  the  way  their 
colour  came  and  went,  and  from  the  flashing  of  their 
eyes,  that  war  was  the  thing,  and  the  only  thing,  that 
really  stirred  them  through  and  through. 

It  was*  necessary  for  me  to  return  to  the  train  before 
the  rest  of  the  party,  and  while  I  was  looking  after 
some  matters  of  detail  a  telegram  came  from  a  city  in 
Kentucky,  asking  if  the  Prince  would  stop  there  for  a 
few  minutes  to  be  greeted  by  his  friends  and  receive  a 
present  from  them.  I  answered  "  Yes,"  and  tfien  ar- 

47 


An  Admiral's  Log 

ranged  with  Boyd  to  stop  the  train  for  just  two  min 
utes,  and  no  more.  When  we  had  said  good-bye  to  our 
kind-hearted  friends  at  Chattanooga  and  were  fairly 
on  our  way,  I  explained  to  Prince  Henry  what  I  had 
done  and  what  he  might  expect.  Several  of  the  rank 
ing  officers  were  assembled  in  our  car,  in  the  obser 
vation  end  of  it,  while  I  told  them  of  some  of  the 
peculiarities  of  the  Kentucky  people. 

After  recounting  some  of  the  most  noted  and 
bloody  feuds  in  which  there  had  been  great  loss  of  life, 
I  described  the  habit  of  carrying  concealed  weapons  by 
the  male  population,  and  explained  how  this  practice 
had  resulted  in  leaving  the  country  without  many 
whole  men,  most  of  them  being  maimed  or  marked  in 
some  way,  either  by  gun  or  knife.  All  the  Germans 
exclaimed  at  such  a  barbarous  custom,  but  at  the  same 
time  there  was  not  a  man  among  them  who  did  not 
show  scars  on  his  face,  received  in  his  college-day 
duels.  They  had  fought  often,  but  the  practice  was 
mere  fun  compared  with  that  of  the  Kentucky  methods. 
Both  methods  have  their  advocates. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  town  from  which  the  tele 
gram  had  come,  and  the  train  had  been  stopped  with 
out  killing  any  of  the  enthusiastic  thousands  who 
crowded  the  tracks,  the  usual  committee  of  three  came 
on  board.  The  chairman  came  first,  a  young,  clean-cut 
gentleman,  perfectly  dressed,  and  in  every  way  pre 
pared  to  do  with  credit  what  devolved  upon  him.  As 
he  began,  in  his  soft,  southern  voice,  "  Yo'  Royal  High 
ness,"  we  saw  that  he  had  one  defective  eye!  As  he 
finished  his  few  polished  words  of  welcome  he  pre 
sented  his  two  fellow-members  of  the  committee,  and 


Copyright  by  Collier's  ll'eekly. 

Prince  Henry  of  Prussia  with  Admiral  Evans,  on  his  tour  through 
the  United  States. 


Southern  Hospitality 

one  of  them  was  lame  in  one  leg!  Then  came  three 
coloured  men,  each  bearing  a  box  or  case,  and  when 
these  had  been  deposited  the  party  withdrew  and  we 
went  on  our  way.  During  the  short  presentation  speech 
we  were  all  doing  our  best  to  suppress  our  laughter. 
The  committee  must  have  thought  us  a  good-humoured 
party,  for  every  man  had  a  broad  grin  on  his  face,  the 
cause  of  which  was,  of  course,  unknown  to  our  kind- 
hearted  friends. 

As  the  train  pulled  out  of  the  station  and  the  shouts 
of  laughter,  provoked  by  the  number  of  lame  or 
maimed  people  we  had  seen,  had  subsided,  Prince 
Henry  asked : 

"  Evans,  what  do  you  think  is  in  those  boxes  ?  " 

I  replied  that  one  probably  contained  very  old  and 
fine  Bourbon  whiskey,  one  apple  brandy,  and  the  other 
peach  brandy.  'This  statement  proved  to  be  correct 
when  the  cases  were  opened.  His  Royal  Highness 
tested  them  all  in  one  dose,  and  pronounced  them  good, 
though  different  from  anything  he  ever  drank  before. 
I  mixed  a  fair-sized  drink  of  whiskey,  a  little  apple 
brandy  with  it,  and  just  a  dash  of  peach  brandy  on  top 
to  give  it  the  proper  flavour.  Before  I  had  time  to  add 
any  water  the  Prince  took  the  glass  and,  instead  of  sip 
ping  the  fluid,  swallowed  the  whole  poisonous  mess 
and,  with  a  rather  startled  look  on  his  face,  asked : 

"  What  do  you  call  that  drink?  " 

"  A  torchlight  procession,  your  Royal  Highness !  " 
was  my  reply. 

The  boxes  were  repacked,  and  afterward  found 
their  way  to  the  Palace  at  Kiel.  The  next  morning,  if 
I  had  known  the  story  then,  I  would  have  told  Prince 

49 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Henry  of  the  Kentucky  gentleman  who,  on  being 
asked,  early  in  the  morning,  how  he  felt,  replied,  "  How 
do  I  feel,  sah?  I  feel  as  every  gentleman  should  feel 
in  the  morning,  sah !  I  feel  like  hell,  sah !  " 

The  reception  accorded  to  the  royal  party  at  Chi 
cago  was  just  what  one  would  expect  from  Chicago. 
The  population  of  this  great  city  turned  out  by  hun 
dreds  of  thousands  to  welcome  its  guests,  and  words 
fail  to  describe  what  the  great  sea  of  humanity  looked 
like.  In  every  direction  the  streets  were  blocked  with 
people,  but  the  police  kept  perfect  order  without  the 
assistance  of  any  military  force.  Some  of  the  streets 
were  roped  off  to  keep  the  crowds  within  bounds,  but 
as  a  rule  this  was  not  done.  Orders  were  published 
requiring  the  people  to  remain  on  the  sidewalks,  and 
the  police  enforced  the  order.  As  an  exhibition  of 
police  authority  it  was  certainly  most  striking.  Chi 
cago  had  learned  her  lesson  in  the  days  of  the  Haymar- 
ket  trouble,  and  later  in  the  labour  strikes,  and  she  had 
learned  it  well. 

After  leaving  the  train  we  proceeded,  with  a  strong 
mounted  police  patrol  ahead  of  us,  to  the  Auditorium 
Hotel,  where  fine  accommodations  had  been  secured. 
On  our  way  we  had  to  pass  a  house  where  the  anarchist 
newspaper  of  the  city  was  published,  and,  notwithstand 
ing  that  all  possible  precautions  had  been  taken,  both 
Chief  Wilkie  and  I  feared  some  unfriendly  demonstra 
tion  at  this  point.  As  we  approached  the  corner  on 
which  the  printing  office  stood,  I  noticed  that  the  build 
ings  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  had  a  number  of 
policemen  on  the  roofs  in  such  position  that  they  could 
command  all  the  windows.  One  glance  at  Wilkie 

50 


Passing  the  Danger  Point 

showed  that  he  was  just  a  trifle  pale,  but,  with  his  right 
hand  in  his  left  breast  pocket,  he  was  ready  for  action 
in  a  second  or  less.  Both  of  us  thought  that  Prince 
Henry,  who  sat  on  the  back  seat  conversing  with  the 
mayor,  was  ignorant  of  the  conditions,  but  we  were 
undeceived  a  few  minutes  later  when  he  leaned  for 
ward,  smiling,  and  said,  "  Wilkie,  is  your  heart  beating 
very  fast  ?  You  know  the  danger  point  is  passed !  " 
We  never  learned  who  told  him  of  the  danger,  and 
nothing  in  his  appearance  indicated  that  he  apprehended 
any. 

The  weather  during  our  visit  to  Chicago  was  bit 
terly  cold,  compelling  us  to  wear  our  heaviest  service 
overcoats.  When  we  reached  the  hotel  I  stepped  out 
of  the  carriage  to  assist  the  Prince,  who  passed  at  once 
into  the  lobby,  closely  followed  by  six  or  eight  of  the 
finest-looking  detective  officers  I  ever  saw,  who  pre 
vented  the  crowd  from  following  too  closely.  It  was 
their  business  to  look  to  the  safety  and  comfort  of  the 
foreign  guests,  and  they  did  it  most  efficiently.  We 
common  American  officers  were  supposed  to  take  care 
of  ourselves,  but  it  was  a  difficult  job  in  the  surging 
mass  of  humanity  that  packed  the  streets  and  sur 
rounded  our  carriages  after  we  stopped.  As  I  followed 
Prince  Henry  and  the  mayor  from  the  carriage  to  the 
hotel  entrance,  I  was  conscious  that  I  was  being  pretty 
roughly  crowded  and  jostled,  but  it  was  only  for  a 
moment,  and  I  paid  no  attention  to  those  about  me. 
All  were  cheering  and  seemed  in  the  best  of  humour. 
On  entering  my  room  my  servant  asked  me  how  I  had 
torn  my  overcoat,  a  new  one  of  heavy  blue  service 
cloth.  I  replied  that  I  had  not  torn  it,  so  far  as  I 

51 


An  Admiral's  Log 

knew;  that  I  was  unconscious  of  having  done  so. 
When  I  had  removed  it,  however,  I  found  a  clean  cut, 
quite  ten  inches  long,  across  the  back,  just  over 
the  hip  pocket  in  my  trousers,  made  no  doubt  by 
some  expert  pickpocket  with  a  razor  or  some  other 
very  sharp  instrument  in  order  to  reach  my  pocket- 
book.  When  he  put  his  hand  into  the  opening,  if 
he  went  that  far,  he  felt  a  revolver,  and  not  a  pocket- 
book,  and,  as  he  was  probably  well  supplied  with 
weapons  of  that  kind,  he  left  it  alone.  The  police  were 
undoubtedly  expert  and  efficient.  So  were  the  pick 
pockets  ! 

When  we  had  changed  our  uniforms,  Prince  Henry 
proceeded  to  place  a  wreath  on  the  tomb  of  Abraham 
Lincoln.  He  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Robert  T.  Lin 
coln,  Mayor  Harrison,  Chief  Wilkie,  and  myself. 
Other  carriages  carried  the  rest  of  the  party,  including 
the  German  ambassador  and  the  German  consul,  to 
Chicago.  As  soon  as  the  wreath  had  been  placed, 
Prince  Henry  took  a  spade  and  planted  a  tree  near  the 
tomb,  and  the  ceremony  was  complete.  Mr.  Lincoln 
seemed  particularly  touched  by  this  tribute  to  the  mem 
ory  of  his  father  when  informed  that  it  was  at  the 
command  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany. 

The  programme  of  entertainments  during  our  stay 
in  the  city  was  so  full  and  complete  that  it  was  almost 
more  than  human  flesh  could  stand  to  carry  it  out. 
First  came  a  great  reception  and  ball,  over  which  the 
"  four  hundred  "  had  many  discussions  as  to  rank  and 
precedence.  The  lady  who  drew  the  Prince  was,  of 
course,  satisfied,  and  she  seemed  to  be  the  only  one  that 
was.  I  was  fortunate  in  having  a  charming  woman  for 

52 


The  Ball  at  Chicago 

my  companion  during  the  grand  march  into  the  ball 
room,  which  was,  of  itself,  a  wonderful  performance 
and  very  long  drawn  out.  When  the  dancing  began  I 
introduced  her  to  a  German  lieutenant,  and  that  was 
the  last  I  saw  of  her.  She  never  came  back,  and  she 
was  considerate  enough  not  to  put  any  one  in  her 
place,  so  that  I  was  able,  after  waiting  a  proper  time 
for  her  return,  to  retire  to  a  quiet  corner  and  enjoy  my 
cigar. 

This  ball  and  reception  disclosed  a  curious  condi 
tion,  which  was  a  complete  surprise  to  many  of  us. 
Immediately  after  our  arrival  I  noticed  a  number  of 
very  military-looking  men  in  plain  clothes  speaking  to 
Prince  Henry.  They  all  stood  at  attention  with  their 
heels  together,  and  all  spoke  German.  Wilkie  soon 
knew  all  about  them,  and  informed  me  that  they  were 
German  army  officers  on  leave,  travelling  in  the  United 
States,  where  they  were  seeing  what  they  could  see  and 
preparing  reports  on  various  subjects  for  his  Majesty, 
the  Emperor.  I  was  much  surprised  to  find  so  many 
of  them.  They  could  not  wear  their  uniforms  without 
permission  of  his  Majesty,  and  to  appear  in  plain  dress 
at  the  ball  was  distasteful,  so  either  the  Prince  or  the 
ambassador,  or  maybe  both  of  them,  wired  for  the 
necessary  permission,  and  it  came  in  time  for  them  to 
attend  the  ball  and  the  banquet  in  military  dress.  I  do 
not  believe  there  were  more  than  three  people  in  Chi 
cago  who  knew  of  the  presence  of  those  officers  in  and 
about  the  city.  We  may,  however,  be  quite  sure  that 
those  courteous,  quick-eyed  men  gave  the  Emperor  all 
the  information  he  wanted  about  the  great  city  and  its 
doings. 

5  53 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Entertainments  of  various  kinds  followed  each  other 
in  rapid  succession,  but  none  of  them  supplied  what 
Prince  Henry  wanted.  He  was  very  desirous  of  seeing 
something  of  the  great  industries  of  this  unique  city. 
The  music  he  heard  was  excellent,  but  he  could  hear 
better  in  Germany.  The  ladies  were,  some  of  them, 
beautiful,  and  the  display  of  necks,  shoulders,  and  dia 
monds  great,  but  all  these  could  also  be  seen  in  other 
places.  What  could  not  be  seen  anywhere  else  in  the 
world  was  the  wonderful  packing  houses  and  kindred 
industries,  and  these  he  was  most  anxious  to  inspect; 
but  his  wishes  could  not  be  complied  with.  Both  Wil- 
kie  and  I  argued  the  case  with  the  ambassador  and 
begged  him  to  allow  us  to  arrange  a  trip  through  the 
cattle  yards,  but  he  would  not  for  a  moment  consent,  or 
even  listen  to  it.  All  the  detective  officers  were  confi 
dent  that  no  harm  would  come  from  such  a  trip,  but  the 
mayor  said,  when  we  appealed  to  him,  that  he  regretted 
to  have  to  say  that  he  could  not  guarantee  the  safety  of 
his  distinguished  guest  if  he  undertook  it — a  hard  ad 
mission  for  the  head  of  a  great  city  government  to  have 
to  make. 

Many,  if  not  all,  of  the  great  packing  houses  em 
ployed  Poles  in  the  work  of  dressing  and  cutting  the 
animals  to  be  packed,  and,  of  course,  these  Polaks  hated 
everything  German.  This  the  German  ambassador 
knew,  and  it  was  for  fear  of  some  bodily  harm  to  his 
Royal  Highness  that  he  objected  so  strongly.  The  in 
formation  I  had  from  the  detectives  satisfied  me  that  the 
proposed  trip  would  be  a  perfectly  safe  one.  The  Polaks 
might  throw  some  blood  on  us,  which  was  a  playful 
trick  they  enjoyed,  but  this  could  not  hurt  any  one 

54 


Reception  at  Milwaukee 

seriously,  and  the  blood  could  be  easily  washed  off.     I 
doubted  if  they  would  do  even  so  much. 

However,  the  ambassador  was  the  one  to  decide 
the  question,  and  he  did  it.  The  Prince  was  willing  to 
go  in  mufti,  but  I  was  unwilling  to  take  that  chance 
against  the  opinion  of  the  mayor  and  the  ambassador, 
and  so  Prince  Henry  missed  seeing  the  one  thing  above 
all  others  he  wanted  to  see  in  the  United  States. 
Many  of  his  officers  saw  not  only  the  packing  houses 
and  stock  yards,  but  many  other  things  not  always 
shown,  without  danger  or  inconvenience. 

From  Chicago  we  ran  to  Milwaukee,  a  city  which 
claims  more  than  two-thirds  of  its  population  as  Ger 
man  or  of  German  descent,  and  here  we  had  one  of  the 
pleasantest  receptions  of  the  whole  trip.  Mayor  Rose 
and  the  city  officials  had  arranged  a  programme,  which 
occupied  all  our  time,  but  also  gave  us  a  few  hours  for 
rest.  When  the  train  arrived  we  were  taken  for  quite 
a  long  drive  about  the  city,  beautifully  located  on  a  high 
bluff  overlooking  the  lake,  and  the  strong,  cold  lake 
breeze  blowing  at  the  time  gave  colour  to  everything, 
but  particularly  to  the  cheeks  of  the  women.  Prince 
Henry  was  struck,  as  I  was,  with  the  number  of  beau 
tiful  women  we  saw.  They  were  at  their  best  because 
of  the  cool,  crisp  air  and  the  beautiful  clothes  they 
wore.  The  city,  people,  and  all  were  in  gala  attire. 
Many  times  Prince  Henry  said  to  me  in  an  undertone, 
"  Evans,  look  quick  at  that  charming  face,"  and  then  it 
would  be  my  turn  to  call  his  attention  to  one  on  my 
side  of  the  carriage.  Finally  we  agreed  that  each 
should  look  at  those  on  his  own  side  only.  Otherwise 
we  would  become  cross-eyed! 

55 


An  Admiral's  Log 

At  the  time  of  our  visit  there  was  a  great  gathering 
of  German  societies  in  the  city,  and  they  gave  the 
Prince  much  music,  singing,  and  speech-making.  Dur 
ing  the  night  there  was  a  turnout  of  the  whole  city  fire 
department,  and  the  firemen  gave  us  a  fine  exhibition  of 
what  they  could  do  in  case  of  necessity.  The  horses 
ran  well  and  the  men  rode  the  long  hook-and-ladder 
wagons  without  falling  off,  and  turned  the  corners  with 
the  accuracy  of  a  modern  battleship  under  full  steam. 

The  great  breweries  for  which  Milwaukee  is  famous 
were  inspected,  and  afforded  several  hours  of  interest 
to  the  Prince  and  his  party.  Before  we  left,  our  car 
was  fairly  loaded  with  export  blue-label  beer,  which 
the  German  officers  liked,  much  to  my  surprise.  I 
could  understand  why  they  liked  American  champagne. 
It  was  not  French  and  was  sweet — two  very  good  rea 
sons  for  their  preference,  for  they  like  sweet  wine,  as 
a  rule,  and  they  do  not  like  anything  French.  But  the 
beer  question  was  a  puzzle  to  me. 


CHAPTER   VI 

PRINCE    HENRY   AT    NIAGARA    FALLS 

As  we  moved  along  from  Milwaukee  back  to  the 
eastward  again,  and  passed  through  the  oil  fields  of 
Ohio,  Prince  Henry  was  thoroughly  interested,  and 
wanted  the  train  stopped  while  he  examined  some  of 
the  wells  and  the  method  of  handling  the  product. 
And  so  it  was  when  we  passed  through  the  vast  grape 
district  about  Erie,  where  they  cultivate  over  two  hun 
dred  varieties  of  grapes.  In  the  one  case  he  was  deeply 
interested  because  there  is  no  petroleum  in  Germany,  and 
in  the  other  because  there  they  grow  grapes  in  enor 
mous  quantities  and  supply  the  best  wine  to  a  large 
part  of  the  world,  and  he  wanted  to  compare  methods. 
With  all  the  fun  we  were  having  on  the  train,  he  was 
absorbing  a  great  amount  of  information  for  future 
use  or  reference. 

On  our  arrival  at  Niagara  Falls  we  found,  for  the 
first  time,  defective  police  arrangements.  We  were 
much  delayed  in  our  movements  by  the  curious  crowd 
which  surrounded  us  and  stared  in  our  faces.  My  Chi 
cago  experience,  I  suppose,  had  rendered  me  sensitive 
to  the  touch  of  strange  hands  about  my  clothing,  and 
when  I  found  some  one  trying  to  get  his  hand  into  my 
hip  pocket,  under  my  military  cloak,  I  was  provoked 
and  angered  beyond  reason.  Without  much  effort  I 

57 


An  Admiral's  Log 

caught  the  wrist  of  the  would-be  thief  and  held  it 
firmly,  and  then,  in  an  instant,  the  thought  flashed 
through  my  mind  that  if  I  called  for  the  arrest  of  the 
person  I  should  have  to  remain  over  to  appear  against 
him.  The  young  man,  not  over  twenty,  I  am  sure,  was 
doing  his  best  to  get  away  from  me.  So,  with  a  sharp 
upper  cut  with  my  right  on  the  point  of  his  chin,  I  let 
him  go.  The  crowd  was  dense  at  the  time,  and,  seeing 
the  condition  of  things,  handled  the  young  chap  rather 
roughly.  When  I  saw  him  last  he  was  being  well  ham 
mered  by  four  or  five  youngsters  of  his  own  age. 

Niagara  was  one  of  the  points  of  greatest  interest 
to  Prince  Henry  and  his  party.  Aside  from  the  natural 
beauties  of  the  wonderful  place,  they  were  deeply  inter 
ested  in  the  scheme,  then  just  completed,  of  generating 
electric  power  from  the  water  of  the  falls  and  trans 
mitting  the  same  to  Buffalo  and  other  nearby  cities. 
The  officers  of  the  power  company  were  most  courteous 
and  obliging,  and  gave  the  Prince  and  his  officers  every 
chance  to  see  and  inspect  in  detail  their  magnificent 
plant,  capable  of  generating  and  transmitting  250,000 
horse  power  to  a  distance  of  sixty  or  seventy  miles. 
My  impression  at  the  time  was  that  this  was  the  most 
interesting  incident  of  the  trip. 

After  the  examination  of  the  power  house  came  a 
delightful  visit  down  the  gorge  to  witness  the  tumble 
of  the  waters,  which  appealed  to  the  sensitive,  poetical 
nature  of  Prince  Henry  and  filled  his  music-loving  soul 
with  joy.  For  nearly  an  hour  he  sat  watching  the 
surging  mass  of  tumbling  water,  silent  and  enrapt. 
Occasionally  he  would  look  up  and  ask  about  some 
daring  attempt  to  swim  the  falls,  and  then  relapse  into 


A  Canadian  Welcome 

silent  watching  of  the  wonderful  scene  before  him.     It 
was  an  hour  of  pure  joy  for  us  all. 

Later  we  crossed  the  bridge,  in  the  biting  cold,  for 
a  nearer  view  of  the  falls.  In  the  middle  of  the  bridge 
our  carriages  were  stopped  and  we  had  to  spend  pre 
cious  time  listening  to  a  Canadian  address  of  welcome. 
Then  the  Prince  had  to  respond  and  later  send  a  wire 
to  his  uncle  announcing  his  arrival  on  English  soil,  all 
of  which  was  necessary  tinder  the  strict  rules  of  eti 
quette;  but  it  took  valuable  time,  and  we  had  none  to 
spare.  If  all  the  speech-making  could  have  been  cut 
out  of  the  trip,  Prince  Henry  could  have  seen  much  of 
our  splendid  machinery,  in  which  he  was  so  much  inter 
ested.  An  effort  was  constantly  made  to  make  this 
speech-making  appear  as  a  purely  American  custom. 
But  I  had  to  maintain  that  it  was  the  custom  of  every 
country  I  had  ever  visited.  Certainly  it  was  so  at  the 
opening  of  the  Kiel  Canal,  and  I  afterwards  found  it 
flourishing  in  China  and  Japan.  We  may  be  the  only 
nation  that  carries  it  to  such  a  painful  extent,  but  all 
other  nations  have  the  disease,  and  it  will,  no  doubt, 
grow  with  them,  as  it  has  with  us,  until  one  cannot 
visit  a  deaf-and-dumb  institution  without  delivering  a 
so-called  address,  and  listening  to  one,  or  more,  in 
reply. 


CHAPTER    VII 

PRINCE   HENRY   IN    BOSTON 

FROM  Niagara  our  itinerary  took  us  to  Boston, 
where,  of  course,  everything  was  properly  done.  Aside 
from  a  desire  to  see  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  historic 
of  American  cities,  the  Prince  held  a  special  commis 
sion  from  the  Emperor  to  deliver  to  Harvard  Univer 
sity  presents  of  considerable  value.  Incidentally,  he 
was  to  receive  a  degree  himself,  which  gave  him  great 
pleasure. 

The  reception  at  Cambridge  was  delightful  and  dig 
nified.  The  president  and  professors  spoke  well,  the 
students  cheered  well,  and  everything  was  as  it  should 
be,  with  one  exception.  When  Prince  Henry  had  re 
ceived  his  degree  and,  at  a  convenient  moment,  stood 
reading  it  carefully,  I  saw  a  puzzled  and  troubled  look 
on  his  face.  After  a  few  moments  of  study  he  said 
to  me: 

"  Evans,  I  don't  know  what  to  do.  Can  you  assist 
me  ?  They  have  made  a  mistake  and  have  given  me  the 
wrong  rank  in  this  degree." 

Of  course,  it  must  be  changed,  corrected  rather,  and 
it  was  a  delicate  thing  to  suggest  to  the  faculty  of 
Harvard  University  that  they  had  made  a  mistake!  I 
knew  that  President  Eliot  had  said,  "  Even  the  young- 

60 


At  Harvard 

est  undergraduate  may  make  a  mistake !  "  But  this 
was  not  the  case  of  an  undergraduate — of  some  one 
much  higher,  close  up  to  President  Eliot  himself — and 
it  had  to  be  corrected — and  it  was. 

Prince  Henry  wished  to  see  how  the  students  at 
Harvard  lived.  He  wished  always  to  see  what  he  could 
of  our  home  life;  but  this  was,  as  a  rule,  impossible. 
He  was  shown  some  of  the  student  rooms,  but  I  was 
impressed  with  the  fact  that  they  were  rooms  of  young 
men  of  means,  as  he  was,  and  this  did  not  interest  him. 
At  Annapolis  and  West  Point  he  saw  what  he  was 
looking  for — all  the  rooms  exactly  the  same,  rich  and 
poor  alike. 

The  official  reception  was  held  at  the  residence  of 
Professor  Miinsterberg,  and  it  was  an  occasion  long  to 
be  remembered.  Those  assembled  represented  the 
brains,  the  culture,  and  the  wealth  of  Boston  society. 
It  was  a  wonderful  gathering,  worthy  of  the  occasion. 
Prince  Henry  presented  the  beautiful  casts  sent  by  the 
Emperor  in  a  very  graceful,  short  address,  and  they 
were  appropriately  accepted.  An  hour  was  given  to 
social  festivities,  and  we  returned  to  our  hotel  to  pre 
pare  for  a  reception  at  the  State  House.  Some  of  the 
social  lights  were  amused  during  this  reception  to  see 
the  manoeuvring  of  some  of  their  best-known  members. 
They  were  recognised  leaders  in  society  matters,  and 
had  evidently  made  up  their  minds  that  on  this  occasion 
they  would  play  a  leading  part — be  the  observed  of  all 
observers.  But  how  small  a  thing  may  change  such 
social  ambitions!  I  am  not  sure  that  the  Prince  knew 
just  what  was  being  arranged,  but,  whether  he  did  or 
not.  he  certainly  spoiled  it  all  most  completely. 

61 


An  Admiral's  Log 

When  the  Prince  entered  the  room  he  took  a  posi 
tion  quite  away  from  the  one  he  was  expected  to 
occupy,  and  when  it  was  suggested  that  he  change  it 
he  replied  that  he  was  very  comfortable  where  he  was, 
and  there  he  remained.  From  the  look  on  his  face,  and 
one  or  two  words  to  me  later,  I  felt  sure  that  Prince 
Henry  understood  what  was  going  on  and  did  not  pro 
pose  to  allow  himself  to  be  used  in  that  way. 

At  the  State  House  the  Prince  was  formally  wel 
comed  by  the  governor  and  state  officials  and  received 
by  a  handsome  escort  of  state  troops.  After  inspecting 
the  much-discussed  building  and  the  beautiful  Shaw 
memorial  tablet  in  front  of  it,  we  returned  to  our  hotel 
to  make  ready  for  the  inevitable  banquet  that  was  to 
take  place  that  evening.  Up  to  this  point  everything  in 
connection  with  our  visit  had  been  all  that  one  could 
ask,  even  of  Boston. 

During  the  early  hours  of  the  banquet  Prince 
Henry  referred  to  what  he  called  our  "  speech-making 
habit."  We  certainly  had  been  bored  almost  to  death 
by  the  speeches  that  had  been  made  to  us,  or  at  us,  but 
in  what  country  would  it  have  been  different  ?  He  said 
to  me: 

"  What  an  extraordinary  way  of  entertaining  one's 
guest — sit  him  down  and  make  speeches  to  him !  There 
is  no  chance  for  conversation.  I  find  myself  seated  be 
tween  two  charming  gentlemen,  but  I  am  unable  to  get 
anything  more  than  *  Yes '  or  '  No '  out  of  them  until 
after  they  have  made  speeches.  Then  they  turn  out  to 
be  entertaining,  witty,  full  of  knowledge  and  character, 
and  I  realise  that  before  that  they  couldn't  talk  to  me 
because  they  were  conning  their  speeches !  " 

62 


A  Boston  Banquet 

This  was,  of  course,  perfectly  true  and,  in  some 
ways,  much  to  be  regretted;  but  in  what  country  is  it 
different?  I  have  attended  many  banquets  in  my  life, 
in  almost  every  country  of  the  world,  and  I  have  found 
it  the  same  everywhere.  Sometimes  the  victims  were 
not  made  unhappy  by  being  told  beforehand  what  was 
expected  of  them,  but  for  important  occasions  it  is  a 
doubtful  experiment  to  ask  any,  except  a  few  recog 
nised  experts  like  Mr.  Seth  Low,  Mr.  Chauncey  De- 
pew,  and  General  Horace  Porter,  to  respond  to  a  toast 
without  a  chance  for  preparation.  It  has  often  been  my 
fortune  at  banquets  to  sit  next  one  or  more  of  the 
speakers,  and  I  have  looked  with  pity  at  their  perspiring 
faces  while  they  took  advantage  of  every  spare  moment 
to  glance  over  and  study  the  typewritten  copy  of  what 
they  were  later  to  say,  or  rather  what  the  morning 
papers  would  declare  they  had  said.  The  remedy  for 
this  system  of  punishment,  which  really  causes  many 
able  men  to  shun  banquets,  is  not  in  sight. 

At  this  particular  Boston  banquet  the  speeches,  as  a 
rule,  were  unusually  fine.  They  lacked  the  brusque 
Americanism  which  we  had  heard  in  the  west,  and 
which  always  brought  more  or  less  applause,  but  they 
were  classical,  finished,  and  witty,  a  little  too  much 
given  to  statistics,  but  generally  fine.  As  each  of  the 
able  speakers  completed  his  task  and  resumed  his  seat 
the  social  air  around  the  tables  improved,  and  we  were 
in  a  fair  way  to  comfort  and  real  enjoyment  when  we 
received  a  rude  shook.  A  very  distinguished  man 
began  his  response  to  a  toast.  Everybody  gave  him 
close  attention  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  when  interest 
seemed  to  flag.  His  voice  was  not  as  pleasant  as  it 

63 


An  Admiral's  Log 

might  have  been,  and  as  time  went  on  the  long  list  of 
statistics  lost  their  charm,  and  the  whole  company  was 
in  perfect  sympathy  against  the  man.  We  were  simply 
bored  to  death,  but  no  way  of  escape  was  open,  and 
we  had  to  sit  still  and  bear  it.  It  was  one  of  the  regular 
thirdly  -  fourthly  -  fifthly  -  in  conclusion  -  and  -  one  - 
word-more  orations.  The  Prince  caught  Wilkie's  eye 
and,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  own,  slipped  his  hand  into  his 
breast  coat  pocket,  where  he  knew  the  chief  carried  his 
gun.  It  was  a  suggestion  to  draw  and  shoot,  and  if 
Wilkie  had  been  "  up  "  on  royal  etiquette  and  had  taken 
the  royal  wish  for  a  command  there  would  have  been 
some  decided  democratic  approval  of  justifiable  homi 
cide!  All  things  must  end,  however,  and  eventually 
this  banquet  did.  We  were  glad  when  the  end  came, 
because  we  were  to  attend  a  reception  before  the  train 
left  at  two  o'clock  A.M.  for  New  York. 

Prince  Henry  was  naturally  anxious  to  see  some 
thing  of  American  home  life,  but  up  to  this  time  he  had 
not  been  able  to  visit  a  single  private  house.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Montgomery  Sears,  of  Boston,  had  kindly  thrown 
open  their  beautiful  home  and  tendered  a  reception  to 
the  Prince  and  his  party.  It  was  here  that  we  spent 
the  evening,  or  rather  what  remained  of  it,  after  the 
banquet.  The  change  from  the  bustling  hotel  banquet 
room  to  the  quiet  luxury  of  this  exquisite  house  was 
most  striking.  Everything  was  done  in  the  former  that 
could  add  to  our  comfort  and  that  of  the  five  or  six 
hundred  guests  assembled,  but  here  was  all  that  wealth, 
culture,  taste,  and  a  long  line  of  descent  could  produce. 
It  was  perfect,  and  we  Americans  of  the  party  watched 
the  Germans  with  interest  while  they  inspected  the  rare 


An  American    Hostess 

old  books,  manuscripts,  and  furniture  in  what  must  be 
considered  a  type  of  the  best  houses  anywhere  in  our 
country.  Later  there  was  a  reception  for  men,  and  then 
a  delicate  repast  at  which  only  four  ladies  appeared.  It 
was  here  that  the  beautiful  hostess  appeared  at  her  best, 
and  made  us  all  proud  of  the  example  of  American 
womanhood. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

PRINCE   HENRY   BIDS   FAREWELL   TO   AMERICA 

ONCE  more  in  New  York,  we  found  that  the  quar 
ters  on  the  Hohenzollern  had  to  be  vacated,  as  several 
cases  of  scarlet  fever  had  broken  out  among  the  crew. 
This  was  most  disconcerting  and  in  many  ways  unpleas 
ant,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  So  we  moved,  bag 
and  baggage,  to  the  Waldorf-Astoria  hotel,  where  we 
were  made  most  comfortable.  We  sadly  missed  the 
privacy  and  dignity  of  the  royal  yacht,  and  had  to 
resort  to  all  sorts  of  tricks  to  keep  the  public  from 
swamping  us  with  their  kindly  meant  hospitality. 
Cranks  of  all  kinds  infested  the  hotel  corridors,  and  the 
force  of  detectives  had  to  be  largely  increased  to  keep 
them  from  actually  forcing  their  way  into  the  private 
quarters  of  the  Prince.  One  particular  woman  crank — 
and  they  are  the  worst,  though  not  the  most  dangerous 
— kept  us  dodging  in  the  most  ridiculous  way  for  more 
than  two  days !  She  had  some  kind  of  invention  which 
she  carried  about  with  her,  as  well  as  a  description  in 
verse  of  the  same,  and  she  was  determined  that  Prince 
Henry  should  listen  while  she  described  the  invention 
and  read  the  verses.  I  tried  hard  to  have  her  expend 
her  energy  on  me,  but  I  was  not  the  game  she  was 
after;  did  not  carry  guns  enough.  For  two  days  and 
nights  Prince  Henry  and  I  moved  lively,  so  to  speak, 

66 


At  the  University  Club 

to  find  a  new  elevator  each  time  we  entered  the  hotel, 
for  the  lady  always  knew  the  last  one  we  had  used  and 
was  watching  it  to  waylay  us.  A  kind-hearted  detec 
tive  finally  induced  her  to  give  up  her  quest,  and  was 
soundly  abused  for  brutality  in  so  doing.  The  good 
woman  actually  on  one  occasion  sat  all  night  in  the  cor 
ridor  waiting  for  us.  Many  people  could  not  under 
stand  why  we  could  not  give  her  the  time  she  wanted. 
She  was  only  a  sample  of  many  hundreds  who  haunted 
the  halls  and  doorways  of  the  Waldorf-Astoria,  and  the 
days  were  not  long  enough  for  us  to  gratify  them  all. 
Of  the  many  entertainments  extended  to  Prince 
Henry  in  New  York,  he  probably  enjoyed  the  dinner  at 
the  University  Club  more  than  any  other.  The  de 
mands  on  the  committee  and  the  influence  brought  to 
bear  upon  them  by  the  persons  wishing  to  extend  such 
courtesy  were  most  surprising  and  hard  to  meet.  The 
Prince  expressed  a  desire  to  dine  with  the  University 
Club,  which  had  then  just  occupied  its  wonderful  new 
club-house  on  Fifty-fourth  Street,  and  the  dinner  was 
one  to  be  remembered.  The  food  was  most  delicate, 
the  wines  rare,  and  the  company  select.  There  was  no 
speech-making,  only  a  short  address  of  welcome,  no 
newspaper  correspondents,  but  some  of  the  finest  music 
heard  during  the  entire  trip.  Among  other  singers,  we 
listened  to  Mr.  Burleigh,  a  coloured  man,  who  sang 
old  southern  melodies,  to  the  intense  delight  of  the 
Prince  and  his  suite.  The  meal  extended  far  into  the 
night,  and  was  followed  by  a  short  reception  for  the 
large  number  of  club  members  who  could  not  attend 
the  dinner.  It  was  after  this  entertainment  that  one  of 
the  distinguished  German  officers  said  something  to  me 


An  Admiral's  Log 

that  has  caused  me  much  thought  many  times  since. 
Admiral  von  Tirpitz,  Minister  of  Marine,  was  observ 
ing  the  men  as  they  passed,  when  he  suddenly  turned  to 
me  and  said,  with  considerable  excitement : 

"  Why,  you  have  developed  a  new  type  of  men  in 
this  country.  I  do  not  see  German  faces  here,  nor 
Spanish,  nor  French  faces.  You  have  developed  a  new 
type  of  men.  Your  university  men  are  a  new  class 
entirely !  " 

Since  then  I  have  thought  that  I  could  recognise  the 
back  of  an  American  university  man,  even  though  I  saw 
him  in  the  wilds  of  Africa  or  the  jungles  of  the  Philip 
pines. 

Admiral  von  Tirpitz  and  I,  naturally,  had  many 
professional  talks,  and  the  memory  of  them  is  a  delight 
to  me  to  this  day.  At  that  time  the  German  navy  was 
doing  nothing  about  submarine  boats,  and  when  I 
asked  him  why  he  replied : 

"  We  can't  afford  it.  Wre  can  afford  the  money, 
but  not  the  brains.  We  think  we  can  utilise  our  mental 
energy  to  better  advantage  in  developing  fighting  ships 
for  the  supremacy  of  the  sea/' 

Could  any  but  a  profound  thinker  have  given  utter 
ance  to  such  a  sentiment?  It  was  in  striking  contrast 
to  our  methods,  for  when  we  began  the  building  of 
our  new  navy,  we  first  designed  and  built  a  despatch 
boat  which  almost  wrecked  the  administration  in  power 
before  we  could  accept  her! 

One  of  the  most  notable  entertainments  given 
Prince  Henry  during  his  stay  in  New  York  was  by  the 
Captains  of  Industry,  as  they  were  called — the  million 
aires  or  men  of  great  wealth.  The  banquet  was  served 

68 


With  the  Captains  of  Industry 

in  the  Metropolitan  Club,  and  everything  that  money 
and  good  taste  could  do  was  done  to  make  it  success 
ful,  and  it  certainly  was  most  brilliantly  so.  A  tele 
gram  was  sent  to  Kiel  in  the  morning,  asking  the  name 
of  the  Prince's  favourite  flower,  which  proved  to  be  the 
gardenia,  and  when  we  entered  the  banquet  room  and 
were  seated  there  was  a  large  bunch  of  these  beautiful 
flowers  at  his  place,  and  boutonnieres  of  the  same  for 
all  the  guests.  Later,  when  the  ladies  entered  and  occu 
pied  the  galleries,  each  one  wore  gardenias.  When  the 
coffee  had  been  served,  much  to  our  surprise,  we  found 
that  there  was  to  be  no  speech-making,  but  instead  the 
room  was  filled  with  the  sound  of  most  interesting  con 
versation.  Men  of  leading,  even  commanding,  posi 
tion,  such  as  J.  P.  Morgan  and  Charles  M.  Schwab, 
the  latter  then  president  of  the  United  States  Steel 
Company,  were  in  turn  presented  to  his  Royal  High 
ness,  and  he  pumped  them  to  his  heart's  content.  It 
was  a  most  enjoyable  evening,  and  gave  him  the  oppor 
tunity  he  had  sought  for  serious  conversation  with  men 
who  could  answer  the  questions  he  put  to  them.  The 
perfume  of  the  flowers  prevailed  above  the  smoke  of 
several  hundred  cigars,  and  the  Prince  several  times 
smilingly  acknowledged  the  compliment  of  the  gar 
denias.  From  this  date  until  he  sailed  gardenias  were 
in  great  demand  in  New  York  at  a  most  ridiculous 
price.  I  recall  buying  one  of  these  plants  in  Japan  once. 
It  had  over  two  hundred  flowers  or  buds,  and  cost  me 
one  dollar  and  thirty  cents ! 

The  Press  Club  entertained  Prince  Henry  at  a  ban 
quet  given  in  the  Waldorf-Astoria,  where  twelve  hun 
dred  men  were  seated  at  the  tables.    During  the  even- 
6  69 


An  Admiral's  Log 

ing  ladies  were  admitted  to  the  galleries,  so  that  the 
room  contained  at  one  time  nearly  two  thousand  per 
sons.  It  was  a  notable  event,  and  brought  together 
many  distinguished  men,  Carl  Schurz  being  one  of 
them.  Many  speeches  were,  of  course,  made,  and  they 
were,  as  a  rule,  well  worth  the  time  given  to  them. 
Mr.  Seth  Low  was  by  general  consent  the  ablest,  and 
certainly  the  most  polished,  orator  of  the  evening. 
Prince  Henry  made  a  great  impression  by  the  wit  and 
humour  of  his  response,  which  was  greatly  applauded. 
Up  to  this  time  few  people  knew  how  perfectly  he  read 
and  spoke  the  English  language. 

One  of  the  first  requests  made  of  me  when  the 
Prince  arrived  in  America  was  that  I  would,  if  possible, 
give  him  an  opportunity  to  hear  some  of  our  old  soutH- 
ern  melodies — not  the  new  "  rag-time  "  horror,  which 
he  detested,  as  most  musicians  do,  but  the  real  thing, 
sung  by  native  negroes.  In  order  to  meet  his  wishes 
as  far  as  possible,  I  wrote  to  Booker  T.  Washington 
and  the  authorities  at  the  Hampton  Institute,  and  was 
fortunate  enough  to  secure  the  services  of  the  Hamp 
ton  singers  as  a  body.  They  came  to  New  York  and,  on 
an  evening  set  aside  for  the  purpose,  sang  for  the  Prince 
and  those  who  had  been  invited  to  join  him.  The  music 
was  beyond  criticism,  and  we  all  thoroughly  enjoyed  the 
evening,  but  particularly  was  this  the  case  with  Prince 
Henry  and  his  officers,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  trained 
musicians. 

During  an  interval  in  the  singing  his  Royal  High 
ness  asked  me  to  present  Dr.  Washington  to  him,  which 
I  very  gladly  did,  and  the  two  were  engaged  in  an 
interesting  conversation  for  more  than  ten  minutes. 

70 


A  New  York  Private  Dinner 

The  man  who  had  demonstrated  to  the  world  the  value 
of  education  for  the  masses — real  education,  industrial 
education — was  evidently  of  much  interest  to  this  stu 
dent  of  economic  questions  and  master  of  his  profes 
sion  as  a  naval  officer.  Several  of  New  York's  leading 
men  of  affairs  watched  the  meeting  between  the  two, 
and  when  it  was  over  expressed  some  surprise  at  the 
ease  with  which  the  coloured  man  bore  himself.  It  was 
more  readily  understood,  I  think,  when  I  reminded 
them  that  Booker  T.  Washington  had  been  presented  at 
more  courts  and  had  dined  with  more  crowned  heads 
than  any  other  American  then  living. 

Before  the  singers  withdrew,  a  young  Sioux  Indian, 
in  whom  the  Prince  was  much  interested,  gave  us  a 
song  in  his  native  tongue.  It  was  curious,  but  lacked 
the  melody  which  made  the  negro  songs  so  touching. 

As  Prince  Henry  had  visited  one  private  house  in 
Boston,  it  seemed  only  right  that  he  should  also  visit 
one  in  New  York.  The  committee  had  difficulty  in 
finding  the  necessary  time,  but  finally  succeeded  by 
doubling  up  two  entertainments  and  giving  them  both 
in  the  same  evening.  Of  the  many  invitations  pressing 
upon  him,  the  Prince  accepted  that  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  Jr.,  for  whom  he  expressed  great 
admiration,  particularly  for  Mrs.  Vanderbilt,  who,  as 
he  expressed  it,  "  had  helped  her  husband  to  be  some 
thing  besides  a  millionaire."  The  weather  on  the  day 
of  the  luncheon  was  simply  "  poisonous/'  as  an  English 
friend  of  mine  called  it,  but  the  good  cheer  and  hospi 
tality  of  the  beautiful  home  soon  made  us  forget  all 
unpleasant  things,  and  we  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  de 
lightful  repast  prepared  for  us.  Many  of  the  ladies  were 


An  Admiral's  Log 

disappointed  because  they  could  not  have  German  offi 
cers  as  escorts,  but  they  had  to  console  themselves  with 
the  fact  that  they  had  at  least  lunched  with  Royalty, 
which  was  more  than  could  be  said  by  many  of  their 
less  fortunate  friends.  Mrs.  Vanderbilt  was  the  charm 
ing  hostess  she  always  is,  and  the  refined  air  of  her  table 
was  in  striking  contrast  to  that  of  many  of  the  ban 
quets  we  had  attended.  The  spirit  of  hospitality  was, 
of  course,  the  same  in  all  of  them,  and  was  thoroughly 
appreciated — it  was  the  difference  between  an  Ameri 
can  home  of  wealth  and  the  wealth  of  American  hotels 
or  clubs. 

Prince  Henry's  visit  to  Philadelphia  was  somewhat 
marred  by  the  fact  that  only  a  few  hours  could  be  spent 
in  that  city.  We  had  a  long  ride  to  the  shipyard  of 
the  Cramps'  shipbuilding  company,  where  the  well- 
known  hospitality  and  courtesy  of  that  company  made 
us  feel  at  home.  The  Prince  was  much  interested  in 
the  Russian  cruiser  Retvizan,  just  then  nearing  comple 
tion,  which  was  to  play  such  an  ineffective  part  later 
on  in  the  war  between  Japan  and  Russia.  A  short  visit 
to  the  old  State  House,  or  Independence  Hall,  where 
his  Royal  Highness,  reviewed  a  number  of  the  German 
veterans  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  and  a  short 
luncheon  at  the  Union  League  Club,  marked  the  con 
clusion  of  the  trip,  and  we  returned  to  our  comfortable 
quarters  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria. 

From  a  professional  standpoint,  the  two  most  inter 
esting  trips  were  probably  those  to  Annapolis  and  West 
Point.  These  two  national  universities  were  naturally 
objects  of  deep  interest  to  the  visitors.  They  were 
glad  to  see  how  the  midshipmen  and  cadets  were  fed, 

72 


At  Annapolis 

clothed,  housed,  and  disciplined,  but  far  beyond  all  this 
was  the  matter  of  education  and  training.  These  mat 
ters  received  the  most  careful  attention,  and  every  one, 
from  the  Prince  down,  was  enthusiastic  about  Annapo 
lis,  and  probably  also  about  West  Point,  though  I  per 
sonally  heard  no  criticism  of  the  latter  institution. 
Such  would  probably  have  been  made  to  officers  of  the 
army,  if  at  all.  At  Annapolis  the  weather  was  very 
bad  during  the  visit,  and  the  mud  shoe-top  deep  and 
soft,  but  the  midshipmen  were  paraded,  and  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  academy  received  the  careful  scrutiny 
of  the  keen-eyed  German  experts.  Our  system  of  edu 
cating  young  officers  as  shown  at  Annapolis  differs  rad 
ically  from  that  of  other  countries,  and  particularly 
from  that  of  Germany.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that 
Prince  Henry  and  his  officers  would  give  unqualified 
approval  to  our  system — indeed,  many  officers  of  our 
own  service  think  it  could  be  improved.  For  one  thing, 
the  Germans  could  not  understand  how  officers  so  edu 
cated  could  control  enlisted  men  on  board  ship,  when 
such  control  was  not  practically  a  part  of  their  educa 
tion  during  their  four-year  term  at  the  academy.  I  tried 
to  explain  this  to  them  as  well  as  I  could,  but  I  fear 
made  little  impression,  because  the  kind  of  men  to  be 
controlled  differs  so  widely  in  the  two  services  that  no 
common  ground  could  be  found  on  which  we  could 
stand.  Many,  if  not  the  majority,  of  foreign  officers 
believe  that  our  discipline  is  not  what  it  should  be. 
This  is  because  of  their  want  of  knowledge  of  our  sys 
tem,  and  particularly  of  the  character  of  our  enlisted 
men.  We,  on  the  other  hand,  feel  that  the  absolute  and 
unthinking  obedience  of  their  men,  which  is  the  result, 

73 


An  Admiral's  Log 

in  great  part,  of  class  distinctions,  would  be  entirely 
out  of  place  with  us,  even  if  we  felt  that  it  would  pro 
duce  efficiency.  I  have  watched  and  studied  this  ques 
tion  with  deep  interest  for  more  than  forty  years  in  our 
own  service  and  others,  and  I  am  satisfied  that  for  us, 
with  our  form  of  government  and  the  character  of  men 
now  composing  our  enlisted  force,  we  have  the  best  sys 
tem  in  the  world.  For  others  I  can  see  that  it  might  not 
succeed.  I  recall  vividly  my  experience  one  Fourth  of 
July  in  the  harbour  of  Tsingtao,  China,  when  we  were 
entertaining  the  officers  and  men  of  the  German  fleet. 
All  day  we  had  races  and  athletic  games,  managed  by 
the  men  of  the  four  ships  composing  our  squadron  of 
which  I  was  the  commander-in-chief.  In  the  evening 
the  men  took  charge  of  the  boats,  which  were  beauti 
fully  illuminated,  and,  while  the  German  officers  were 
dining  with  our  officers,  proceeded,  with  bands  of  music 
and  much  song  and  cheering,  to  serenade  the  German 
ships,  one  after  another.  As  the  column  of  boats,  filled 
with  happy,  contented,  well-behaved  men,  passed  my 
flagship  the  German  admiral  asked  me  how  many  offi 
cers  I  had  in  the  boat,  and  when  I  replied  that  there 
was  not  a  single  one  a  curious  look  came  into  his  face, 
and  he  said,  "  I  don't  think  we  could  do  that  with  our 
men."  It  was  always  my  custom  when  in  command  to 
give  the  men  just  this  kind  of  liberty,  and  then  hold 
them  responsible  for  good  conduct.  In  other  words, 
our  effort  is  to  make  our  men  self-respecting  and  obedi 
ent  for  their  own  sakes,  and  not  because  of  the  presence 
of  their  officers. 

At  West   Point  we  had  snow   and  piercing  cold 
weather  instead  of  the  rain  and  mud  of  Annapolis.    The 

74 


At  West  Point 

drill  plain  was  covered  with  a  beautiful  blanket  of 
untracked  snow  about  eight  inches  deep.  In  the  centre 
of  this  had  been  placed  a  broad  platform,  on  which  we 
were  to  stand  while  the  cadets  passed  in  review,  and  as 
we  approached  it,  our  feet  heavy  with  the  clinging 
snow,  Prince  Henry  stopped  suddenly,  turned  to  me 
and  said : 

"  Please  have  those  things  removed.  I  object  seri 
ously  to  them ! " 

The  camera  habit,  one  of  the  most  annoying  nui 
sances  of  modern  times,  had  followed  us  through  the 
west,  but  we  had  not  expected  to  find  it  at  West  Point. 
Of  course,  I  conveyed  the  Prince's  wishes  to  the  com 
manding  officer  immediately,  but  unfortunately  he  had 
granted  permission  to  place  the  instruments  in  position, 
and  we  stood  in  the  snow  for  some  time  while  the 
matter  was  being  adjusted.  Finally  some  officer  of 
robust  physique  bundled  the  whole  gang  out  of  the 
way,  and  we  took  position  for  the  review.  Despite  the 
snow  and  the  heavy  overcoats,  the  cadets  marched  by  in 
the  perfect  manner  so  characteristic  of  the  splendid 
corps.  After  a  charming  reception  at  the  house  of  the 
superintendent,  the  German  officers  inspected  the  cadet 
quarters,  mess  hall,  and  recitation  rooms,  and  then  wit 
nessed  horseback  riding  and  athletic  exercises  in  the 
gymnasium.  The  military  officers  of  the  Prince's  party 
found  much  to  admire  at  West  Point,  but  in  a  general 
way  thought  their  own  military  methods  better  suited 
to  their  purposes.  Here,  again,  as  in  the  case  of 
Annapolis,  racial  differences  and  conditions  must  be 
considered  before  passing  judgment. 

The  royal  yacht  Hohenzollern,  by  reason  of  the 
75 


An  Admiral's  Log 

fever  on  board,  was  no  longer  of  use,  and  took  her 
departure  for  Kiel,  via  St.  Thomas.  Her  officers  and 
crew  had  made  many  warm  friends  in  New  York  on 
account  of  their  uniformly  good  conduct,  and  when  she 
left,  the  docks  were  crowded  with  people  to  wish  her  a 
safe  and  pleasant  homeward  voyage. 

The  last  days  of  Prince  Henry's  visit  were  dread 
fully  crowded;  but  he,  nevertheless,  found  time  to  dis 
tribute  the  many  handsome  presents  he  had  brought 
with  him.  So  careful  and  thoughtful  was  he  in  this 
matter  that  every  person  who  attended  him,  even  to  the 
porters  who  served  him  on  his  car,  received  some  sou 
venir  of  his  visit.  As  the  time  came  for  him  to  sail,  on 
the  Deutschland,  of  the  Hamburg-American  Line,  his 
staff  had  to  work  night  and  day  to  pack  and  ship  the 
large  collection  of  things  he  had  received.  But  so  com 
plete  was  the  organisation  of  the  party,  and  so  able  the 
individual  units,  that  nothing  was  neglected,  nothing 
forgotten. 

My  opportunity  to  give  Prince  Henry  a  personal 
entertainment  of  some  sort  came  at  last,  when  I  had 
about  given  up  all  hope  of  such  a  pleasure.  The  com 
mittee  somehow  managed  to  find  time  for  a  luncheon, 
and  I  gave  it  at  my  club,  the  University,  on  Fifty- 
fourth  Street.  Covers  were  laid  for  forty,  and  the 
party  included  the  Prince  and  all  his  people,  a  fair  rep 
resentation  from  each  branch  of  our  committee,  and  a 
selected  number  of  personal  friends  from  the  club.  The 
chef  was  at  his  best,  and  after  our  coffee  Prince  Henry 
expressed  himself  in  words  of  praise  for  the  club, 
which,  he  declared,  met  his  ideas  perfectly  of  a  "  Uni 
versity  Club."  For  the  luncheon,  he  was  good  enough 


Prince   Henry's  Visit 

to  say  that  it  was  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  of  all  the 
entertainments  he  had  had  in  our  country,  particularly 
because  it  had  been  given  by  an  old  personal  friend. 

I  have  often  been  asked  the  question,  "  Why  did 
Prince  Henry  visit  this  country,  and  what  were  his 
impressions  of  it  and  of  our  people  ?  "  In  answering 
this  I  can  only  give  my  own  personal  views,  as  I  never 
heard  any  official  expression  on  the  subject.  Friendli 
ness  was  the  key  to  the  spirit  and  significance  of  the 
whole  visit.  The  launching  of  the  yacht  built  in  this 
country  for  the  Emperor  was  the  opportunity  for  show 
ing  it.  It  may  be  that  the  very  unpleasant  sentiment 
aroused  in  this  country  by  the  action  of  the  German 
naval  force  in  Manila  Bay  during  the  Spanish- American 
War,  and  the  feeling  that  Germany  was  determined  on 
securing  a  coaling  station  somewhere  in  the  West  India 
Islands,  had  produced  an  effect  which  it  was  necessary 
and  desirable  to  remove.  The  feeling  on  the  part  of 
our  people,  which  was  well  known,  had  naturally  pro 
duced  a  feeling  of  irritation  on  the  other  side  far  from 
friendly,  and,  as  I  have  said,  a  desire  to  remove  this 
and  re-establish  the  cordial  relations  which  had  existed, 
and  which  were  most  natural  between  the  two  coun 
tries,  may  have  had  its  influence.  If  this  be  true,  it 
certainly  was  a  most  happy  move  on  the  part  of  the 
Emperor,  judging  by  the  results. 

Another  reason  for  the  visit,  certainly  a  most  nat 
ural  and  laudable  one,  was  a  desire  on  the  part  of  his 
Imperial  Majesty  to  know  more  of  the  home  life  of  the 
country  that  was  drawing  so  heavily  for  its  population 
on  the  Fatherland.  How  could  he  learn  this  in  any 
other  way  so  well  as  by  sending  his  able,  alert,  and 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

accomplished  brother  to  look  the  land  over  and  then  to 
give  him  his  personal  impressions?  And,  in  order  that 
his  impressions  might  have  full  weight,  he  selected  and 
sent  with  his  brother  a  body  of  men  the  like  of  which 
has  never  come  to  us  from  any  other  country.  Of  the 
impressions  produced  on  this  body  of  able  and  distin 
guished  men  by  their  visit  to  our  country  and  their 
intercourse  with  our  people  I  can  only  give  my  personal 
opinion,  backed  by  their  very  frank  expressions.  They 
seemed  greatly  pleased  with  most  of  the  things  they 
saw  and  heard,  and  deeply  interested  in  others.  Per 
sonally  they  expressed  themselves,  as  of  course  they 
would,  as  overcome  by  the  greatness  and  vastness  of 
our  country,  and  most  grateful  for  the  courtesies  ex 
tended  to  them  on  all  sides.  What  they  reported  offi 
cially  to  his  Majesty  on  their  return  may  never  be 
known.  If  it  ever  is,  I  feel  confident  that  the  spirit  of 
the  report  will  not  differ  materially  from  their  words 
to  us. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  Emperor  of  Ger 
many  and  all  the  people  of  his  great  country  must  have 
felt  pride  and  satisfaction  over  the  treatment  accorded 
their  representatives  by  the  people  of  the  United  States 
from  the  moment  when  the  Meteor  took  the  water,  in 
the  presence  of  the  President  and  christened  by  his 
daughter,  to  the  day  they  left  our  shores,  followed  by 
the  good  wishes  of  cheering  thousands.  Such  a  wel 
come  from  the  masses  of  our  population,  as  well  as 
from  the  leader,  had  never  before  been  given  to  any 
foreign  representative,  and  the  people  of  Germany,  all 
over  the  world,  must  have  felt  the  significance  of  it. 
A  friendly  visit  conceived  in  a  spirit  of  real  interna- 

78 


Prince   Henry's   Farewell 

tional  friendliness  had  produced  the  happiest  results, 
and  we  were  all  heartily  glad  that  it  was  so. 

Before  sailing,  Prince  Henry  gave  a  farewell  dinner 
on  board  the  Deutschland.  All  those  who  had  accom 
panied  him  on  his  trip  were  present,  and  enjoyed  an 
hour  of  familiar  conversation,  where  true  feeling  found 
its  way  to  the  surface.  Each  one  was  toasted  by  his 
Royal  Highness,  and  then,  in  a  few  heartfelt  words, 
he  expressed  his  warm  personal  thanks  for  the  service 
we  had  done  him.  There  was  real  sentiment  in  what 
he  said,  and  we  all  felt  it.  As  the  representative  of  the 
navy,  I  said  in  reply  when  he  toasted  our  service : 

"  Prince  Henry  and  brother  officers  of  the  German 
service:  representing  the  navy  of  the  United  States, 
I  say  to  you  that  we  are  glad  you  came,  we  are 
sorry  you  are  going,  and  we  hope  you  will  come  again. 
It  gives  me  pleasure  to  grasp  the  friendly  hand  so  cour 
teously  extended  to  us  across  the  North  Atlantic/' 

The  grasp  that  I  received  across  the  table  convinced 
me  that  there  was  strength  of  muscle  as  well  as  friend 
ship  behind  it. 

Good-bye  to  you,  Prince  Henry,  and  all  your  gal 
lant  comrades.  Good  luck  and  happiness  to  you  all.  If 
you  should  unhappily  be  involved  in  war  with  some 
other  country,  I  miss  my  guess  if  your  enemy  doesn't 
find  the  German  navy  a  hard  nut  to  crack. 

When  the  Deutschland  sailed  I  returned  to  my 
home  in  Washington,  weary  and  short  of  sleep.  I 
found  my  own  bed  so  much  more  comfortable  than  the 
one  in  the  sleeping  car  that  I  remained  in  it,  insensible 
to  the  outside  world,  for  forty-eight  hours ! 


CHAPTER   IX 

ORDERED   TO   THE  ASIATIC    FLEET 

AFTER  the  close  of  the  Spanish-American  War,  I 
had  been  fortunate  enough  to  secure  duty  on  the  Light 
house  Board  and  had  been  elected  its  chairman,  a  posi 
tion  of  dignity  and  responsibility.  In  former  years  I 
had  served  in  every  position  an  officer  could  fill  under 
the  board — inspector  of  a  district,  twice  naval  secre 
tary  of  the  board,  and  twice  as  a  member  of  the  board. 
Now  that  I  was  elected  its  chairman,  I  felt  that  I  could 
render  good  service  because  of  my  experience  in  these 
various  positions. 

Aside  from  going  to  sea,  in  command  either  of  a 
ship  or  a  fleet,  duty  on  the  Lighthouse  Board  is  the 
most  desirable  that  a  naval  officer  can  have.  It  is 
independent,  pleasant  duty  of  the  most  responsible  and 
important  character,  and,  while  more  or  less  confining, 
it  leaves  time  for  an  officer  so  inclined  to  enjoy  life  in 
the  open  air.  Above  all,  it  enables  one  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  our  coast  and  inland  waterways  second 
only  to  that  of  the  best  pilots,  and  this  may  result  in 
time  of  war  to  the  great  benefit  of  the  country,  as  well 
as  to  the  officer  concerned.  There  is  no  position  in 
which  an  officer  can  acquire  more  knowledge  which 
may  be  of  great  value  to  him,  than  as  inspector  of  one 
of  the  sixteen  districts  into  which  our  coast  and  inland 

80 


Chairman  of  Lighthouse  Board 

waters  are  divided.  As  chairman  of  the  board,  it  became 
a  part  of  my  duty  to  inspect  all  these  districts  and  make 
suggestions  for  the  improvement  so  necessary  for  the 
greatest  efficiency,  and  I  enjoyed  it  most  thoroughly. 
It  was  often  my  good  fortune  to  have  the  President 
and  other  high  officials  of  the  government  accompany 
me  on  my  inspection  trips,  and  it  was  a  great  pleasure 
to  point  out  to  them  the  good  work  being  done.  I  re 
call  one  trip  when  I  had  the  President  and  the  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury  with  me.  The  Lighthouse  Board  was 
then  a  part  of  the  Treasury  Department,  but  the  Secre 
tary,  I  think,  was  not  aware  of  the  fact  until  after  we 
had  started!  During  the  trip  we  experienced  some 
very  bad  weather,  and  our  work  was  done  with  diffi 
culty  and  some  danger,  but  done,  all  the  same,  without 
a  word  of  complaint  from  the  men.  Afterwards  I 
heard  the  President  say  to  the  Secretary.  "  This  is  a 
branch  of  the  government  service  in  which  I  think  the 
people  get  one  hundred  cents'  worth  for  every  dollar 
expended ! "  He  was  exactly  right  in  his  estimate. 
After  a  hard  struggle,  we  had  succeeded  in  entirely 
eliminating  politics  from  the  service,  and,  as  its  affairs 
were  administered  by  selected  officers  of  the  navy  and 
engineer  corps  of  the  army,  it  was  only  reasonable  to 
expect  that  high  state  of  efficiency  and  honest  adminis 
tration  which  those  officers  always  exact. 

Two  years  of  this  most  agreeable  duty  was,  how 
ever,  all  that  I  could  reasonably  expect  under  the  circum 
stances.  There  was  a  feeling  throughout  the  country, 
particularly  in  the  navy,  that  our  flag  officers  were  not 
doing  as  much  work  as  they  should;  in  fact,  that  they 
arrived  at  flag  rank  at  such  an  advanced  age  that  they 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

could  only  do  a  year  or  two  of  service  before  they  had 
to  pass  on  to  the  retired  list.  How  much  truth  there 
was  in  this  idea  I  do  not  care  to  discuss  here.  Later 
on  I  may  take  it  up.  In  my  own  case  there  was  no 
room  for  question  as  to  my  duty,  and  certainly  none 
as  to  my  inclination.  I  had  been  favoured  by  unusual 
advancement,  so  that  I  reached  flag  rank  at  an  age 
when  I  had  seven  years  still  to  serve  before  retirement, 
and  it  was  clearly  my  duty  to  spend  those  years  at  sea, 
if  the  Navy  Department  thought  me  worthy  and  would 
allow  me  to  do  so.  My  personal  preference  was  always 
for  duty  afloat.  The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  was  good 
enough  to  grant  my  request  for  detail  to  command  the 
cruiser  division  of  the  Asiatic  Fleet.  The  necessary 
orders  were  issued,  making  me  second  in  command 
under  my  old  friend  Rear-Admiral  Frederick  Rodgers, 
then  our  commander-in-chief  in  the  East.  These  or 
ders  were  received  before  the  visit  of  Prince  Henry? 
and  as  soon  as  he  left  us  my  command  of  the  special- 
service  squadron,  organised  for  his  reception,  ceased, 
and  I  prepared  for  more  serious  work. 

That  the  success  of  any  commander  depends  very 
largely  upon  the  conduct  and  support  of  his  assistants, 
those  who  execute  his  orders  and  give  him  advice  when 
asked,  is  a  fact  not  always  acknowledged,  but  a  fact  of 
vital  importance  all  the  same.  This  is  true  of  the 
smallest  command,  and  equally  true  but  of  greater  im 
portance  as  the  size  of  the  command  increases,  because 
of  the  greater  range  and  value  of  the  work  of  the  larger 
command.  There  are,  of  course,  instances  where  a 
strong  man,  a  genius,  let  us  say,  has  succeeded,  despite 
the  half-hearted  support,  or  even  opposition,  of  those 

82 


Conditions  in  the  East 

under  him,  his  subordinates;  but  history  records  few 
such  cases,  and  even  in  these  we  can  only  surmise  how 
much  greater  the  success  might  have  been  had  the 
support  been  more  loyal.  It  seems  to  me  clear,  with 
out  any  argument  on  the  subject,  that  the  commander- 
in-chief  of  a  large  naval  force  cannot  expect  the  success 
his  country  has  a  right  to  demand  of  him  unless  he  has, 
in  the  first  place,  proper  and  able  men  in  his  staff,  and, 
in  the  second  place,  unless  these  men  give  him  loyal  and 
efficient  support  and  advice  when  such  advice  is  asked. 
The  best  results  can  be  secured  only  when  every  officer 
and  man  gives  to  the  efforts  of  the  commander-in-chief 
his  loyal  and  hearty  support,  his  life,  if  need  be,  and 
the  work  of  his  staff  must  go  a  long  way  toward  secur 
ing  for  him  the  feeling  in  the  fleet  which  ensures  this 
condition.  Without  a  long  search  we  can  find  many 
dismal  failures  for  the  want  of  such  support. 
^  Conditions  in  the  East  were  such  that  it  seemed 
probable  that  we  might,  at  very  short  notice,  be  called 
upon  for  hard  service,  and  this  was,  of  itself,  a  strong 
attraction  for  work  in  that  part  of  the  world.  To 
thinking  men  it  was  clear  that  war  between  Russia  and 
Japan  was  only  a  question  of  time,  possibly  a  very 
short  time,  and  the  position  we  should  have  to  assume 
when  the  struggle  came  and  how  seriously  we  might 
become  involved  were  most  interesting  questions.  Our 
great  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  John  Hay,  had,  with  the 
consent  of  the  President  and  the  approval  of  the  people 
of  the  United  States,  taken  a  position  with  reference  to 
the  question  of  an  "  open  door  "  for  our  trade  rights  in 
China  that  might,  at  any  moment,  bring  us  into  actual 
collision  with  Russia.  Indeed,  it  was  only  a  few 


An  Admiral's  Log 

months  later  that  a  Russian  officer  of  rank  said  to  me, 
referring  to  a  note  that  Mr.  Hay  had  just  addressed  to 
the  Russian  government  on  the  Manchurian  question, 
"  Such  a  note  from  any  country,  except  America,  to 
my  country  would  bring  an  instant  declaration  of  war." 
I  chose  to  regard  this  as  a  compliment  to  our  diplomacy, 
but  I  felt  quite  sure  it  was  otherwise  intended. 

Having  in  mind  my  own  comfort  and  reputation,  as 
well  as  the  interests  of  the  service,  I  looked  about  me 
among  the  officers  available  for  those  to  serve  on  my 
staff.  I  was  fortunate  in  securing  the  detail  of  the  fol 
lowing  :  Lieutenant  F.  L.  Chapin,  an  ordnance  expert 
and  an  officer  of  recognised  ability  and  standing,  as  flag 
lieutenant;  Lieutenant  Thomas  Washington,  an  officer 
well  versed  in  law  and  the  department  routine,  as  well  as 
an  "  all-round  man  "  of  hard  common  sense,  as  my  flag 
secretary;  and  Lieutenant  F.  T.  Evans,  a  fine,  athletic, 
ambitious  young  officer,  whose  knowledge  of  seaman 
ship,  boats,  and  handling  men  was  remarkable  for  one 
of  his  age,  as  aide  and  signal  officer.  Thus  equipped 
with  assistants,  I  felt  that  I  could  look  forward  to  a 
fair  measure  of  success  in  my  new  field  of  work. 

There  are  periods  in  a  man's  life  when  luck  seems 
to  run  his  way,  and  this  was  the  time  that  I  could  fairly 
claim  that  it  was  coming  my  way.  The  long,  trying 
separations  from  my  family  which  had  necessarily  fol 
lowed  my  extended  sea  service  had  been  a  great  hardship 
in  my  service  afloat.  The  idea  of  two  or  three  years' 
more  of  absence  from  them  was  anything  but  attractive, 
and  fortunately  for  me  was  not  to  be  experienced.  My 
luck  had  turned  and  good  fortune  came  my  way.  One 
of  my  daughters  was  married  to  a  naval  officer  who  was 


On  the  Way  to  Japan 

on  duty  as  naval  attache  to  the  legation  at  Tokio,  and 
I  should  be  able  to  see  her  occasionally.  My  wife  and 
younger  daughter  consented  to  go  out  with  me,  pro 
vided  they  could  be  located  in  the  city  with  the  daugh 
ter  and  sister,  and  this  was  arranged.  Then  my  son 
and  his  wife  joined  the  party,  so  that  later  we  were  able 
to  have  a  Christmas  dinner  in  the  Japanese  capital 
where  every  member  of  my  immediate  family  was 
seated  at  the  table.  Modern  means  of  transportation 
have  greatly  relieved  the  hardships  of  naval  life  in  one 
respect,  at  least — an  officer  can  now  have  the  comfort 
of  seeing  his  family  occasionally  without  too  great  dis 
comfort  or  expense  for  them  in  the  journey.  Formerly 
this  was  not  possible,  and  many  officers  spent  one- 
third  or  more  of  their  time  away  from  their  growing 
families. 

When  all  our  plans  had  been  arranged,  transporta 
tion  secured,  and  trunks  checked,  we  left  Washington 
on  April  i,  1902,  a  merry  party,  bound  to  Yokohama 
by  way  of  San  Francisco.  I  must  not  fail  to  mention 
here  that  my  faithful  servant,  George  Duff,  who  had 
been  with  me  in  the  New  York  at  Kiel,  was  with  me, 
and  that  his  loyal  and  faithful  service  was  to  help  me 
through  many  trying  hours  in  the  years  to  come. 

The  ease  and  comfort  with  which  we  crossed  the 
continent  were  truly  wonderful.  At  Chicago  we 
changed,  left  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and,  after  din 
ing  at  the  Auditorium  Hotel,  took  our  seats  in  one  of 
the  fine  cars  of  the  well-equipped  Santa  Fe  Railroad, 
and  never  left  it,  except  sometimes  for  our  meals,  which 
were  supplied  by  the  Harvey  system,  which  for  comfort 
and  luxury  is  not  known  on  any  other  railroad  in  the 
7  85 


An  Admiral's  Log 

world.  It  certainly  was  a  great  surprise  to  pull  into 
an  artistically  designed  station  in  the  Arizona  desert, 
where  the  eye  could  not  detect  a  spray  of  anything 
green,  where  the  sun  fairly  baked  the  brains  in  one's 
head,  and  to  find  oneself  served  with  a  delightful  meal. 
This  was  our  experience  on  many  occasions;  indeed, 
I  may  say  it  was  always  the  case  as  long  as  we  were 
in  the  hands  of  the  courteous  officials  of  the  Santa  Fe 
Railroad. 

The  Palace  Hotel  was  our  home  in  San  Francisco 
for  the  few  days  we  remained  there,  and  here  again  we 
were  most  comfortable  and  courteously  looked  after. 
The  old  house  is  gone  now,  tumbled  down  by  the  great 
earthquake,  and  the  remains  destroyed  by  the  fire  which 
later  swept  over  the  city.  New  and  gorgeous  hotels 
have  been  built  at  great  expense,  such  as  the  Faiwew, 
and  a  new  Palace  Hotel  occupies  the  site  of  the  old 
one;  but  none  of  them  can  ever  have  the  traditions 
of  the  old  place.  New  San  Francisco  will  no  doubt  be 
a  wonderfully  beautiful  city,  and  its  hotels  and  clubs 
far  ahead  of  the  old  ones,  yet  they  can  never  hope  to  be 
as  attractive  to  those  of  us  who  have  known  both. 
This  will  be  of  little  importance,  however,  for  in  a  few 
years  there  will  remain  only  those  who  know  the  new. 
The  fine  new  steamers  of  the  Northern  Pacific  road 
had  not  been  completed  at  the  time,  so  we  had  to 
cross  the  Pacific  in  a  ship  flying  the  English  flag, 
which  was  not  to  the  liking  of  a  party  so  entirely 
American,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  We  must 
either  go  in  the  Gaelic  of  the  O.  &  O.  Company,  or  sub 
mit  to  a  long  delay  and  then  go  to  sea  in  a  ship  that 
we  knew  would  not  be  as  comfortable  for  us.  So  we 

86 


An  English  Passenger  Ship 

embarked  in  the  good  ship  Gaelic,  commanded  by  Cap 
tain  Finch,  as  cheery  a  skipper  as  ever  sailed  under  the 
blue  ensign  of  Great  Britain,  which  flew  because  the 
ship  was  commanded  by  an  officer  of  the  English  Naval 
Reserve.  That  he  was  most  capable  and  efficient,  in 
every  way  qualified  to  care  for  the  safety  and  comfort 
of  his  passengers,  all  those  who  have  sailed  with  him 
will  be  glad  to  state.  Our  own  flag  having  been  prac 
tically  driven  from  the  Pacific  by  our  archaic  and  unjust 
navigation  laws  and  the  sharp  competition  of  subsi 
dised  foreign  lines  of  steamers,  we  were  compelled,  as 
I  have  stated  above,  to  sail  under  the  English  flag. 
This  gave  me  the  opportunity  I  had  long  desired  to 
study  the  system  under  which  these  subsidised  steamers 
were  run  and  the  service  on  them  of  officers  of  the 
Naval  Reserve,  the  latter  being  the  matter  of  greatest 
interest  from  a  professional  standpoint. 

The  Gaelic  was  manned  by  a  Chinese  crew,  most  of 
whom  never  left  her  for  a  moment,  except  in  a  Chinese 
port  where  they  had  family  or  friends.  Their  food  was 
essentially  Chinese  and  prepared  by  Chinese  cooks. 
Each  man  was  allowed  a  certain  quantity  of  opium  to 
smoke  if  he  wished  it,  not  in  any  case  enough  to  injure 
him,  and  all  were  allowed  to  gamble,  after  the  Chinese 
national  fashion,  during  certain  hours  of  the  day. 
Everything  was  done,  in  other  words,  to  keep  these 
men  in  the  condition  in  which  they  would  ordinarily 
find  themselves  when  employed  on  the  coasting  lines  or 
in  the  large  ports  of  their  own  country.  The  result  was 
a  happy,  contented  crew,  who  liked  their  ship  better 
than  the  shore,  regarded  her  as  their  home,  and  re 
mained  in  her  from  year  to  year,  gradually  working  up 


An  Admiral's  Log 

to  higher  places,  and  always  having  in  mind  the  inter 
est  of  those  who  employed  them.  The  sight  of  a  "  fan- 
tan  "  outfit  spread  on  the  decks  of  this  ship  during  the 
meal  hour,  and  a  dozen  or  more  Chinese  sailors  gam 
bling  for  cash,  seemed  perfectly  natural  to  me,  for  I 
knew  from  experience  what  it  meant  to  those  who  were 
doing  it  and  what  would  result  from  any  attempt  to 
stop  it.  Such  amusement  on  a  ship  under  the  American 
flag  would  be  impossible,  no  matter  how  good  the  re 
sults  obtained  might  be.  Our  "  reformers "  would 
have  fits  even  at  the  suggestion  of  such  a  thing,  and, 
rather  than  have  it  actually  tried,  they  would  go  to  the 
same  extent  they  went  in  the  matter  of  the  canteen  for 
army  posts — injure  the  men  involved  to  a  lamentable 
degree  in  order  to  uphold  a  theoretical  fad  of  their  own 
against  the  vote  of  over  ninety  per  cent  of  those  who, 
from  long  experience,  knew  what  they  were  talking 
about. 

Most  of  the  officers  of  the  Gaelic  were  officers  of 
the  English  Naval  Reserve,  and  were  liable  to  be  called 
to  the  colours  for  service  in  time  of  war.  They  were  a 
fine  lot  of  well-educated  men,  and  I  have  never  known 
a  ship  better  disciplined  or  better  kept.  It  was  a  real 
pleasure  to  go  to  sea  under  such  conditions.  My  only 
regret  was  that  the  ship,  and  many  more  like  her,  could 
not  fly  the  American  flag. 

In  order  that  these  officers  of  the  Naval  Reserve 
may  keep  themselves  in  proper  training,  they  are  al 
lowed  certain  privileges.  In  the  first  place,  the  ship 
commanded  by  one  of  them  is  allowed  to  fly  the  Eng 
lish  blue  ensign,  which  naturally  attracts  passengers 
and  freight,  for  it  is  a  guarantee  that  the  ship  is  well 

88 


The  English   Naval   Reserve 

commanded.  It  also  carried  other  advantages  which 
need  not  be  mentioned  here.  While  anchored  in  any 
port  where  there  is  an  English  man-of-war  present, 
these  Reserve  officers  may,  if  time  permits,  present 
themselves  to  the  commanding  officers  of  such  ship  and 
take  their  tour  of  drill  and  duty.  They  must  receive  at 
least  thirty  days'  drill  in  each  year.  If  they  receive 
only  a  few  days  at  one  port,  this  is  credited  to  them  on 
their  papers  over  the  signature  of  the  captain  who  di 
rects  the  drill,  and  when  they  have  thus  received  the 
necessary  thirty  days  they  can  draw  their  pay  for  the 
year.  The  same  rule  applies  to  enlisted  men.  The 
whole  scheme,  the  result  of  many  years'  experience, 
gives  to  England  a  splendid  body  of  reserve  officers  and 
men  to  be  called  on  in  time  of  war.  As  far  as  I  know, 
it  is  the  best  of  all  the  schemes  now  being  tried  for  the 
same  purpose.  When  we  are  older  as  a  nation  and, 
maybe,  have  been  roughly  handled  in  one  or  two  naval 
engagements,  we  may  come  to  this  or  some  similar 
plan.  It  does  seem  unfortunate  that  we  should  have  to 
wait  for  this  experience  when  we  could  avoid  it  by  fol 
lowing  either  the  example  of  others  or  taking  the 
advice  of  able  officers  of  our  own  service. 

Our  run  from  San  Francisco  to  the  Hawaiian 
Islands  was  pleasant  but  uneventful.  We  ate  our  four 
meals  per  day,  took  the  usual  amount  of  exercise  on 
deck,  sympathised  with  those  who  were  sick,  and 
greatly  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  hot  salt-water  baths  in 
large  marble  bath  tubs.  There  was  also  a  large  canvas 
tank  provided  on  the  upper  deck  under  the  forward 
bridge,  where  those  so  disposed  could  have  a  real  swim. 
We  arrived  off  the  bar  at  Honolulu  early  in  the  morn- 

89 


An  Admiral's  Log 

ing,  but  the  customs  officer  could  not  be  disturbed 
before  eight  o'clock,  so  we  rolled  about  until  that  hour 
arrived,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  we  had  a  large 
mail  and  fifty  or  sixty  passengers  for  the  place.  Cap 
tain  Finch  took  the  matter  more  coolly  than  some  of  his 
passengers,  and  when  I  asked  him  why  he  did  so,  re 
plied  that  if  he  made  any  protest  about  it  the  collector 
would  manage  to  keep  him  waiting  three  hours  instead 
of  two!  Feeling  that  the  department  in  Washington 
would  not  approve  of  the  leisurely  methods  of  the  col 
lector,  which  held  passengers  and  United  States  mail 
waiting  while  he  finished  his  breakfast,  after  eight 
o'clock  A.M.,  I  sent  in  an  official  letter  detailing  the 
occurrence  and  protesting  against  what  I  considered  an 
outrage.  Some  months  afterwards  I  received  a  reply, 
written  by  a  clerk  in  the  Treasury  Department,  for 
warding  the  reply  of  the  collector.  It  was  a  short  but 
very  characteristic  letter  and,  I  must  say,  amusing. 
The  collector  assumed  in  his  reply  that  "  the  gallant  old 
admiral  "  had  eaten  something  that  disturbed  his  diges 
tion,  and  advised  that  he  be  requested  to  confine  his 
attention  to  naval  matters,  and  not  to  comment  on 
things  that  were  no  business  of  his!  It  is  astonishing 
how  soon  a  certain  class  of  our  paid  servants  assume 
to  be  our  bosses,  and  act  accordingly. 

Upon  landing  in  Honolulu  our  party  was  taken  in 
hand  by  a  number  of  kind  friends,  who  gave  us  a  most 
delightful  day.  We  were  driven  through  the  charming 
little  city  out  to  the  Pali  for  the  view — certainly  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  and  fascinating  in  the  world.  If  our 
travelling  rich  class  knew  of  the  beauties  of  the  Sand 
wich  Islands,  I  am  sure  many  of  them  would  cruise  on 

90 


Lunch  with  Prince  David 

the  Pacific  two  thousand  miles  to  Honolulu  rather  than 
the  same  distance  across  the  Atlantic.  After  visiting 
some  of  the  most  noted  viewpoints  and  one  or  two  of 
the  sugar  estates,  we  lunched  with  Prince  David  and 
his  beautiful  Princess,  and  were  introduced  to  some  of 
the  native  dishes,  which  we  found  delicate  and  savoury. 
The  manner  of  eating  these  dishes  was,  however,  a 
matter  of  surprise.  One  of  the  favourite  breakfast  or 
luncheon  dishes  is  po'i,  a  sort  of  porridge,  or  sticky 
mush.  It  is  prepared  from  the  bulb  of  a  species  of  lily 
grown  on  the  island,  and  is  considered  a  healthful  arti 
cle  of  diet.  It  is  known  as  "  two  "  or  "  three  finger 
po'i,"  according  to  whether  it  is  thick  enough  to  be 
eaten  with  two  or  requires  the  use  of  three  fingers  of 
the  hand  instead  of  a  spoon  or  fork.  The  natives  never 
use  anything  except  their  fingers.  No  one  can  deny 
that  the  sight  of  a  pretty  woman  eating  po'i  with  two 
delicately  shaped  white  fingers,  which  she  knows  well 
how  to  use,  is  an  attractive  sight,  but  the  same  cannot 
be  said  for  the  man  with  large,  brown,  muscular  fin 
gers.  It  is  even  worse  when  a  stranger  to  the  custom 
attempts  this  mode  of  feeding,  for  he  (or  she)  invari 
ably  smears  his  entire  hand  and  a  portion  of  his  cloth 
ing  with  the  sticky  mass.  As  to  the  flavour  of  the  poi, 
when  I  first  ate  it,  it  seemed  to  me  about  the  same  as 
that  of  some  paste  I  once  tasted  which  was  being  used 
by  workmen  who  were  papering  a  room.  After  some  lit 
tle  practice,  I  found  it  quite  possible  as  an  article  of  food. 
I  can  recall,  even  at  this  late  date,  the  first  time  I  ever 
ate  clams  at  a  clambake — somehow  I  managed  to  fill 
my  mouth  with  sand  and  the  stringy 'skin  that  seemed 
to  enclose  the  clam.  When  a  pretty,  refined  young 


An  Admiral's  Log 

woman  prepared  the  clams  and  dropped  them  into  my 
mouth  I  found  them  exceedingly  good.  So  it  was  with 
poi! 

Fish  prepared  by  a  native  Hawaiian  cook  is  one  of 
the  most  delicate  dishes  ever  put  on  a  table.  The  favour 
ite  is  a  mullet  which  abounds  in  the  waters  about  the 
island.  It  is  rolled  up  in  a  large,  savoury  loaf,  and  then 
baked  and  served  hot.  I  found  it  perfectly  delicious, 
but  before  I  had  eaten  half  as  much  as  I  wanted  I 
found  my  hands  covered  with  grease  up  to  my  wrists, 
and  I  had  to  resort  to  soap  and  water  before  I  could 
complete  my  meal,  which  I  did  with  a  fork,  much  to  the 
amusement  of  my  native  friends.  Of  all  the  meat 
dishes,  roast  pig,  or  pork,  is  the  favourite.  It  is  roasted 
or  baked  in  a  pit  dug  in  the  ground,  filled  with  wood 
and  stones,  after  the  fashion  of  our  eastern  clambake, 
and  fired.  After  the  ashes  and  most  of  the  stones  are 
removed,  the  whole  pig  is  substituted.  The  pit  is  then 
covered  carefully,  and  the  heat  in  the  ground  cooks  the 
flesh.  The  natives  eat  astonishing  quantities  of  this 
most  savoury  food,  and  with  it  consume  many  very  hot, 
fresh  red  peppers,  which  they  gather  from  the  pepper 
tree,  always  in  evidence  in  every  part  of  the  islands. 
There  are  traditions  that  dog  was  once  much  liked  pre 
pared  in  the  same  way.  While  I  make  it  a  rule  always 
to  taste  the  foods  of  the  various  countries  I  visit,  I 
think  I  should  draw  the  line  at  dog.  The  memory  of 
faithful  old  hunting  companions  would  make  it  seern 
too  much  like  cannibalism. 

The  fruits  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  are,  of  course, 
tropical,  but  of  great  variety  and  abundant  in  quan 
tity.  We  were  fortunate  in  finding  them  in  great  pro- 

92 


Hawaiian  Fruits 

fusion  and  enjoyed  them,  not  only  during  the  time  of 
our  stay  on  shore,  but  for  many  days  after  sailing.  The 
papaya,  a  fruit  resembling  a  melon,  is  the  one  most 
used.  It  grows  on  a  tree  and  is  in  season  all  the  year, 
one  part  of  the  tree  blooming  while  on  other  parts  the 
fruit  is  ripening.  In  colour  it  is  golden  yellow  when 
ripe,  is  about  the  size  of  a  large  cantaloupe,  and  con 
tains  more  pepsin  than  any  other  fruit  or  vegetable 
known ;  hence  it  is  a  favourite  breakfast  fruit.  With  the 
possible  exception  of  the  Philippine  mango,  which  has 
not  been  introduced  into  Honolulu,  it  has  no  superior 
among  the  tropical  fruits.  "  Alligator  pears  "  grow  in 
abundance,  but  are  not  equal  to  some  of  the  varieties 
grown  in  the  West  Indies.  Guavas  grow  wild  all  over 
the  islands,  but,  curiously  enough,  we  never  found 
guava  jelly,  the  natives  preferring  to  use  the  fruit  while 
fresh. 

In  the  evening,  when  the  Gaelic  was  ready  for  sea, 
we  had  an  opportunity  to  observe  a  custom — I  may  say 
a  beautiful  custom — not  known  elsewhere  in  the  world. 
The  native  women  or  girls  prepare  from  the  highly  col 
oured  and  scented  flowers  of  the  island  ropes  or  gar 
lands  of  flowers,  and  with  these  they  decorate  their 
friends  before  they  embark,  stringing  the  beautiful 
things  about  their  necks  and  shoulders  and  around  their 
waists.  When  we  reached  the  deck  of  the  ship  the 
members  of  our  party  looked  as  if  they  had  taken  first 
prizes  in  a  flower  show,  covered  as  they  were  with 
"  laais,"  as  they  call  these  strands  of  flowers.  In  our 
state-rooms  we  found  quantities  of  carnations  and  other 
sweet-scented  flowers.  They  were,  however,  all  com 
mitted  to  the  deep  a  few  hours  later,  when  the  ship 

93 


An  Admiral's  Log 

began  to  roll  and  the  air  ports  had  to  be  closed.  The 
air  in  all  the  cabins  soon  became  oppressive  with  what 
had  been,  a  few  hours  before,  a  delicate  and  delightful 
perfume;  now  it  was  offensive  to  those  unfortunates 
who  suffer  from  seasickness.  I  have  often  noticed  that 
those  who  were  afflicted  with  this  unpleasant  and 
peculiar  complaint  object  seriously  to  anything  that 
smells  of  the  land — most  of  them,  in  fact,  object  to 
everything  in  the  nature  of  odours. 

The  people  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  particu 
larly  those  of  the  city  of  Honolulu,  have  always  been 
noted  for  their  hospitality  to  our  officers  and  men.  In 
the  old  days,  when  we  policed  the  Pacific,  Honolulu 
was  the  favourite  port  for  giving  liberty  to  the  men  and 
replenishing  the  supply  of  fresh  water  and  vegetables. 
Generally  speaking,  a  ship  could  run  out  to  the  islands 
with  a  fair  wind  and,  after  spending  a  few  months, 
during  which  time  there  were  balls,  dinners,  picnics, 
and  shooting  parties  for  one  to  enjoy,  could  return 
under  the  same  favourable  weather  conditions.  The 
weather,  comparatively  speaking,  was  always  good 
after  you  were  once  clear  of  the  Pacific  coast,  and  you 
could  rely  on  these  conditions  until  you  again  ap 
proached  it  on  your  return.  Many  of  the  old  people  of 
Honolulu  and  a  few  naval  officers  still  living  and  on 
the  retired  list  will  recount  to  you  by  the  hour  the 
doings  of  the  dear  old  days  before  steam  and  modern 
guns  took  all  the  poetry  out  of  our  profession,  when 
the  officers  flirted,  danced,  and  drank  to  their  hearts' 
content  without  fear  that  the  Navy  Department  would 
know  of  their  performance.  There  was  in  those  days 
no  cable  nor  wireless  system  by  which  people  in  Wash- 

94 


A  Commodore  of  the  Old  Days 

ington  could  tell  every  hour  of  the  day  just  what  those 
in  other  parts  of  the  world  were  doing-.  One  of  the 
stories  often  told,  especially  by  some  of  the  surviving 
officers,  though  I  have  heard  it  from  an  old  resident  of 
Honolulu,  is  of  one  of  our  officers,  a  commodore,  who 
never  failed  to  visit  the  islands  when  he  could  find  the 
least  excuse  for  doing  so.  He  was  fond  of  good  din 
ners,  and  particularly  of  good  wine.  On  one  of  his 
visits  he  and  all  the  officers  who  could  be  spared  from 
duty  were  entertained  at  a  splendid  banquet.  One  of  the 
peculiarities  of  this  commodore  was  that  he  always  car 
ried  a  large  blue  umbrella  when  visiting  the  shore.  In 
the  small  hours  of  the  morning,  after  much  eating  and 
drinking,  the  old  man  took  his  departure,  followed  by 
his  officers.  On  the  way  to  his  boat  he  had  to  pass 
through  a  public  square  in  which  a  very  large  fountain 
was  playing  all  the  time,  and,  passing  too  near  it,  felt 
its  falling  spray.  He  immediately  stopped,  hoisted  his 
umbrella,  and  stood  still  in  his  tracks,  and,  when  his 
officers  came  up,  hailed  them.  "  Pretty  sharp  shower, 
gentlemen.  Heave  to  until  it  blows  over!  "  Of  course 
they  "  hove  to "  clear  of  the  spray,  where  they  re 
mained  until  one  of  them  persuaded  the  commodore 
that  the  shower  was  local,  and  that  if  he  would  haul  by 
the  wind  on  the  port  tack  he  would  soon  pull  out  of  it. 
This  he  did,  and  the  umbrella  came  down.  A  book 
could  be  written  of  such  stories,  but  this  one  will  suffice 
here. 

The  Hawaiians  are,  I  believe,  loyal  to  the  new  flag 
that  flies  over  their  land  and  still  have  for  the  navy 
much  of  the  affection  which  they  showed  for  it  in  the 
old  days,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  our  officers  and 

95 


An  Admiral's  Log 

men  were  landed,  on  a  very  doubtful  pretext,  at  the 
request  of  an  ambitious  minister,  and  took  part  by  force 
of  arms  in  a  revolution  which  was  still  unborn.  Such 
conduct  on  our  part  might  have  led  to  the  bitter  feeling 
shown  for  us  by  the  Cubans  and  Filipinos,  in  whose 
behalf  we  made  so  many  sacrifices.  That  it  did  not  so 
result  is  a  fortunate  fact  which  a  wiser  head  than  mine 
may  account  for. 

During  one  of  my  visits  to  Honolulu  I  was  invited 
to  a  hunting  party  to  shoot  plover.  We  found  the 
birds  in  almost  incredible  numbers,  very  fat,  and  of  fine 
flavour  when  served.  They  were  at  once  recognised  as 
the  "  beetle  "  plover,  or  black-headed  plover,  a  migrat 
ing  game  bird  often  found  in  considerable  numbers 
on  the  Pacific  coast  and  sometimes  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  of  the  United  States.  Upon  studying  the  matter 
more  closely,  I  found  that  they  left  our  coast  some 
where  to  the  north  of  San  Francisco,  and  in  one  flight 
— there  was  no  resting  place  for  them  en  route — made 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  a  distance,  as  the  crow  flies,  of 
about  twenty-three  hundred  miles.  They  always  started 
with  a  northeast  or  northerly  gale,  and  thus  secured 
a  fair  wind  most  of  the  way.  After  remaining  on  the 
meadows  of  the  islands  for  about  three  months,  where 
they  became  very  fat,  they  started  on  the  return  trip, 
waiting  always  for  a  strong  southerly  wind  to  help 
them  on  their  way.  The  "  beetle  "  plover  is  a  strong, 
rapid  flyer,  about  the  size  of  a  blue  rock  pigeon,  but 
without  my  experience  at  Honolulu  and  subsequent 
study  I  would  not  have  believed  that  he  was  capable  of 
such  a  protracted  flight. 

Our  trip  from  Honolulu  to  Yokohama  was  pleas- 

96 


A  Good  Swimmer 

ant  in  every  way,  but  dreadfully  lonesome.  The  sur 
face  of  the  Pacific  was  like  the  proverbial  mill  pond 
most  of  the  way,  until  we  approached  the  coast  of 
Japan,  when  it  was  rough  enough  to  suit  the  oldest 
"  salt "  on  the  ship.  During  all  this  long  run  we  did 
not  sight  a  single  vessel  of  any  kind  or  description, 
which  made  the  story  of  one  of  our  soldiers  who  fell 
overboard  from  a  transport  the  more  remarkable.  The 
transport  was  conveying  troops  from  San  Francisco  to 
Manila,  when  the  man  fell  overboard  at  night  and  was 
not  missed  for  several  hours.  When  his  absence  was 
discovered,  the  ship  was  stopped  and  search  made,  but 
of  course  the  man,  being  then  many  miles  astern,  was 
not  found.  Being  a  good  swimmer,  the  soldier,  on 
finding  himself  in  the  water  and  the  ship  disappearing 
in  the  distance,  made  up  his  mind  to  swim  as  long  as  he 
could  before  giving  up  hope.  After  keeping  himself 
afloat  for  some  time,  he  found  a  piece  of  driftwood 
which  was  large  enough  to  sustain  his  weight,  and  on 
this  he  rested.  Some  time  during  the  following  day  he 
was  picked  up  by  a  Japanese  fishing  schooner,  probably 
the  only  vessel  within  a  radius  of  many  thousand 
miles.  The  transport  went  on  her  way  and  reported 
the  loss  of  the  man,  who  was  later  landed  by  the 
schooner  at  Nagasaki,  where  he  caught  a  steamer  for 
Manila,  and  in  due  time  reported  to  his  regiment.  Of 
course,  I  don't  vouch  for  this  story,  but  this  is  the  way 
it  was  told  to  me.  If  ever  a  man  was  justified  in  buy 
ing  lottery  tickets,  certainly  this  soldier  was  the  man, 
for,  with  his  luck,  he  could  not  invest  his  spare  change 
in  any  other  way  and  hope  for  so  large  a  return ! 

Captain  Finch  made  a  fine   landfall,   or,   in  other 

97 


An  Admiral's  Log 

words,  was  accurate  in  his  navigation,  and  we  entered 
the  beautiful  bay  of  Yokohama  on  the  day  and  at  the 
hour  scheduled  before  leaving  San  Francisco.  We  had 
enjoyed  eating  fresh  meat,  fresh  fruit,  and  fresh  oys 
ters  every  day  of  our  trip,  and  in  the  cold-storage 
rooms  of  the  Gaelic  were  enough  fresh  oysters  remain 
ing  to  last  to  Manila  and  then  back  to  San  Francisco. 

We  made  the  trip  from  Washington,  D.  C,  to  the 
entrance  to  the  harbour  of  Yokohama  between  April  ist 
and  April  27th,  with  two  days'  delay  at  San  Francisco 
and  one  at  Honolulu,  and  had  never  had  one  ration  of 
salt  food  offered  us  except  by  request.  The  quantity 
of  pure,  fresh  water  furnished  us  was  without  limit,  and 
clear,  crystal  ice  was  always  ready  when  called  for.  All 
this  was  a  great  surprise  to  me,  for  on  my  former 
cruises  I  had  lived  generally  out  of  "  tins  "  and  drunk 
water  that  was  frequently  red  with  iron  rust  and  ropy 
with  sediment.  Instead  of  ice  water,  we  were  glad  to 
cool  the  allowance  served  out  to  us  in  a  clay  jar,  called 
a  "  monkey,"  which  was  porous  and  when  hung  in  the 
wind  cooled  the  water  it  contained  by  evaporation. 
Of  course,  we  always  had  the  navy  ration  of  pork  and 
beans  and  salt  beef,  or  "  salt  horse/'  as  it  was  called, 
but  these  did  not  seem  attractive  when  compared  in 
memory  with  the  fine  cuts  of  fresh  beef  and  mutton 
supplied  on  the  Gaelic.  The  wonderful  improvements 
in  the  comforts  of  sea  life  by  the  introduction  of  cold- 
storage  processes  was  clearly  shown  on  this  cruise,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  that  in  a  few  years  the  luxury  of  ship 
life  will  be  so  great  that  it  will  be  impossible  to  make 
people  believe  the  true  story  of  life  in  the  old  days. 


CHAPTER    X 

IN    JAPAN 

DURING  the  afternoon  of  April  2jth  we  entered  the 
beautiful  bay  of  Yokohama,  but  we  saw  little  that  was 
attractive  because  of  the  weather — it  was  raining  in  a 
steady  downpour,  with  more  or  less  of  fog*.  It  was  clear 
enough,  however,  for  one  to  see  the  great  changes  that 
had  taken  place  in  the  defences  of  the  channel.  Where 
formerly  a  few  old  smooth-bore  guns  were  in  position  to 
dispute  the  passage  of  an  enemy's  fleet,  modern  high- 
powered  twelve-inch  rifles  in  great  numbers  now 
frowned  down  on  us.  Battery  after  battery  of  these 
guns  could  be  seen,  and  we  knew  that  many  others,  per 
haps  even  stronger,  were  concealed.  It  did  not  look 
like  anything  in  the  nature  of  a  picnic  or  holiday  per 
formance  to  take  a  fleet  past  them  unless  the  Japanese 
were  willing  to  have  one  do  so.  After  passing  the 
outer  batteries  I  was  looking  about,  trying  to  locate  the 
position  of  the  wreck  of  the  United  States  sloop-of-war 
Oneida,  which  had  been  sunk  in  this  vicinity  about 
thirty-five  years  before.  She  was  run  down  by  the 
British  merchant  steamer  Bombay  and  carried  to  the 
bottom,  with  over  two  hundred  officers  and  men. 
While  thus  engaged  I  sighted  what  at  first  appeared  to 
be  two  islands,  one  on  either  side  of  the  channel  and 
not  far  from  it.  I  knew,  of  course,  that  there  were  no 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

islands  there — at  least  none  when  last  I  passed  out  of  the 
bay  many  years  before.  A  close  inspection  as  we  ran 
by  them  showed  that  they  really  were  artificial  islands, 
and  on  each  was  a  fort  of  great  defensive  powrer.  I 
had  read  of  these  forts,  and  was  interested  to  see  what 
they  amounted  to.  They  proved  to  be  of  stone  and 
concrete  construction,  and  commanded  the  channel  so 
perfectly  that  it  would  be  practically  impossible  for  a 
fleet  to  pass  until  they  had  been  destroyed  or  silenced. 

The  question  of  how  these  batteries  had  been  con 
structed  was  particularly  interesting  to  navy  men,  for  the 
reason  that  we  had  urged  that  the  same  kind  of  defence 
should  be  adopted  for  the  entrance  to  Chesapeake  Bay, 
between  Capes  Charles  and  Henry.  Our  engineer  offi 
cers  had  always  decided  against  the  scheme,  and  gave 
many  reasons  for  so  doing,  the  principal  objection  being 
the  depth  of  water  in  which  the  foundations  would  have 
to  be  laid.  In  our  case  this  depth  is  something  less  than 
forty-two  feet.  In  the  case  of  the  Japanese  forts  it  was 
one  hundred  and  fourteen.  Judging  from  what  I  after 
wards  saw  of  the  Japanese  engineers,  I  feel  sure  they 
would  have  built  the  fort  in  four  hundred  feet  of  water 
if  it  had  been  desirable  to  do  so.  That  the  officers  of  our 
engineer  corps  are  as  able  as  those  of  any  other  coun 
try  in  the  world  every  one  who  has  had  dealings  with 
them  will  gladly  admit.  If  they  have  fallen  behind  the 
Japanese  in  the  matter  of  harbour-defence  works,  we 
may  be  sure  there  is  some  good  reason  for  it,  and  it 
might  be  that  the  manner  of  supplying  funds  and  actu 
ally  doing  the  work  will  furnish  this  reason.  When 
the  Emperor  of  Japan  is  satisfied  by  the  advice  of  his 
officers  that  a  fort  should  be  built  to  defend  a  certain 

100 


Our  Coast  Defences 

point,  or  that  a  number  of  battleships  should  be  con 
structed,  he  gives  the  order  to  have  it  done.  Parlia 
ment  finds  the  money  as  it  is  required,  and  the  work 
progresses  rapidly  to  completion.  Labour  and  material 
are  much  cheaper  in  Japan  than  they  are  with  us,  and 
the  patriotism  of  the  people  is  such  that  they  would 
even  supply  both  without  compensation  were  it  nec 
essary.  Who  ever  heard  of  "  shoddy  "  clothing  or  de 
fective  ammunition  in  the  Japanese  army  or  navy  dur 
ing  the  late  war  between  that  country  and  Russia? 
And  who  has  not  heard  of  these  same  disgraceful  things 
in  the  wars  of  other  nations?  Any  one  who  will  take 
the  trouble  to  look  into  the  matter  will  find  that  the  lack 
of  proper  coast  defences  in  the  United  States  cannot  be 
charged  either  to  the  President  or  the  officers  of  the 
corps  of  engineers. 

After  hundreds  of  reports  had  been  made  pointing 
out  the  necessity  for  such  work,  and  many  plans  sub 
mitted  showing  how  and  why  it  should  be  done,  Con 
gress  finally  appointed  a  committee  to  consider  and 
look  into  the  matter.  After  years  of  looking  and  con 
sidering,  they  reported,  practically  adopting  the  plans 
which  had  been  before  them  all  the  time.  Then,  after 
a  few  years'  more  consideration,  enough  money  was 
appropriated  to  begin  work  on  a  few  forts,  which,  as  a 
rule,  were  located  near  the  cities  large  enough  and 
strong  enough  politically  to  force  compliance  with  the 
demands  of  their  representatives.  The  small  amount 
of  money  thus  appropriated  was  soon  expended,  the 
work  stopped,  and  the  machinery  used  in  construction 
left  unemployed  until  another  appropriation,  when  it  was 
found  that  it  required  a  considerable  sum  to  again  put  it 
8  101 


An  Admiral's  Log 


in  working  order.  Each  year  the  Secretary  of  War 
submits  an  estimate  for  funds,  carefully  prepared  by 
the  chief  of  engineers,  and  one  qr  two  committees  of 
Congress  take  charge  of  it.  Sometimes  they  refuse  to 
make  any  appropriation,  at  other  times  they  cut  the 
estimate  in  half,  and  so  the  work  drags  slowly  along 
from  year  to  year.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remind 
the  reader  of  the  results  of  the  patriotic  and  persistent 
effort  of  the  late  President  of  the  United  States  in  the 
matter  of  new  battleships.  It  may  be  that  Japanese 
methods  would  not  suit  us.  Be  that  as  it  may,  she  has 
complete  and  efficient  coast  defence,  and  we  have  quite 
the  reverse.  If  our  enemies  had  dared  to  attack  us  in 
the  past  as  hers  did  Japan,  I  have  no  doubt  our  condi 
tion  in  this  respect  would  be  far  different  from  what 
it  is. 

The  first  thing  that  struck  me  on  entering  the  har 
bour  of  Yokohama  was  the  wonderful  change  that  had 
taken  place  there  since  I  last  visited  the  city.  Even 
through  the  drizzling  rain  and  fog  it  looked  new  and 
much  improved.  The  large  amount  of  money  which 
had  been  returned  to  them  by  the  United  States  had 
been  used  by  the  Japanese  in  constructing  a  fine  break 
water,  which  makes  the  port  one  of  the  safest  and 
most  comfortable  for  shipping  of  any  on  the  coast.  In 
former  years  a  hard  gale  of  wind  would  play  havoc 
with  all  vessels,  large  and  small,  anchored  here,  because 
of  the  heavy  sea  that  came  rolling  in  from  Yeddo  Bay. 
Now  it  was  entirely  different.  The  breakwater,  cres 
cent  shaped,  enclosed  a  large  area,  and  behind  it  the 
water  was  always  smooth  and  safe.  No  matter  how 
hard  the  blow,  or  how  bad  the  sea  outside,  behind 

1 02 


Arrival  at  Yokohama 

this  protection  all  vessels  and  boats  were  safe.  Only 
merchant  ships  were  allowed  to  use  the  inner  anchor 
age,  because  of  its  limited  area,  and  at  the  time 
of  our  arrival  it  was  so  crowded  that  there  was  hardly 
room  for  another  vessel.  All  men-of-war  were  com 
pelled  to  anchor  outside  the  breakwater,  which  was  no 
hardship,  as  they  were  always  under  steam  and  ready 
to  take  care  of  themselves  in  case  of  danger.  When  a 
ship  was  under  repairs,  however,  this  rule  was  not  en 
forced. 

It  had  been  my  good  fortune,  during  a  former 
cruise  in  the  East,  to  be  in  Yokohama  harbour  when  the 
first  steam  vessel  ever  owned  by  the  Japanese  govern 
ment  came  in  and  anchored.  Now  I  was  to  see  how 
much  advance  had  been  made,  and  how  many  beautiful 
ships  were  owned,  not  only  by  the  government,  but  by 
merchants  as  well.  As  a  result  of  the  liberal  subsidy 
granted  by  the  government,  the  Japanese  flag  flew  over 
one  of  the  finest  fleets  of  merchant,  freight,  and  passen 
ger  ships  in  the  world.  They  were  all  built  and  owned 
under  specifications  which  permitted  of  their  use  by  the 
government  if  necessary  in  case  of  war,  and  this  wise 
provision  was  to  have  a  thorough,  practical  test  before 
many  years  had  passed. 

Upon  inquiry  I  found  that  first-class  passenger 
ships  plied  between  Yokohama  and  the  Pacific  ports  of 
Canada  and  the  United  States,  commanded  by  Japanese 
officers  and  manned  by  Japanese  sailors,  and  that  well- 
conducted  lines  of  first-class  ships  ran  to  all  the  Euro 
pean  and  Mediterranean  ports,  officered  and  manned  in 
the  same  way.  To  my  great  surprise,  I  found  that  the 
best  ships  for  both  freight  and  passenger  lines  were 

103 


An  Admiral's  Log 

being  built  in  Japan  by  native  labour  and  of  native  mate 
rial.  The  cost  of  their  construction  was  so  slight  that 
outside  competition  was  impossible,  either  in  building 
the  ships  or  conducting  the  lines  afterwards.  The  re 
sult  was  that  every  port  in  China  and  Japan,  in  fact,  in 
the  entire  East,  had  its  line  of  Japanese  merchant  ships, 
all  heavily  subsidised  by  the  government.  It  certainly 
was  a  marvellous  change  from  what  I  had  seen  in  this 
country  thirty-five  years  before;  and  when  we  consider 
that  in  other  branches  the  growth  and  improvement  had 
been  even  greater  than  in  shipping  and  water  trans 
portation,  we  are  forced  to  admit  that  the  wonderful 
progress  of  this  nation  has  no  parallel  in  history. 

In  less  than  forty  years  they  completely  changed 
their  form  of  government;  established  a  sound  financial 
system;  organised  an  army  and  a  navy  second  to  none 
in  the  world  in  courage  and  efficiency;  established  dip 
lomatic  relations  with  all  the  world ;  and  sent  their  mer 
chant  vessels  to  every  important  port  on  the  globe. 
What  other  people  ever  did  so  much  in  so  short  a 
time? 

When  the  ladies  of  my  family  had  been  landed  and 
comfortably  housed,  I  went  at  once  on  board  my  flag 
ship,  with  my  staff,  and  on  the  following  day,  April 
28th,  assumed  command  of  the  northern  division  of 
the  Asiatic  Fleet,  afterwards  known  as  the  cruiser 
division.  My  old  and  valued  friend  Rear-Admiral 
Frederick  Rodgers,  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  sta 
tion,  was  in  the  Philippines  in  his  flagship,  the  cruiser 
New  York,  doing  what  he  could  to  help  the  army  in 
their  efforts  to  reduce  the  Filipinos  to  a  proper  state  of 
respect  for  the  authority  of  the  United  States.  He  had 

104 


Assume  Command 

made  ample  provision  for  my  comfort  before  sailing  by 
detailing  for  my  flagship  the  fine  new  battleship  Ken 
tucky,  commanded  by  Captain  Stockton,  an  officer  of 
exceptional  ability,  who  afterwards  served  as  my  chief 
of  staff.  My  order  assuming  command  was  published 
a  few  hours  after  I  arrived  on  board,  and  then  I  found 
the  days  too  short  for  the  work  I  had  to  do.  One  who 
has  never  been  through  the  mill  can  scarcely  realise  the 
vast  amount  of  detail  work  an  officer  has  to  face  under 
such  circumstances.  As  time  goes  on  and  he  gets  the 
run  of  things  and  has  a  chance  to  study  the  history  of 
what  has  been  done  and  get  in  touch  with  the  thousand 
and  one  things  requiring  his  attention,  the  duty  becomes 
easier  and  less  exacting,  until  finally  it  is  pure  pleasure 
to  perform  if. 

The  etiquette  between  officers  of  the  navy  and  our 
civil  representatives  abroad  is  strict  and  punctiliously 
observed.  Because  of  trouble  in  the  past  on  this 
score  many  regulations  have  been  framed,  and  they  are 
carefully  observed.  Within  twenty-four  hours  of  as 
suming  command  I  called,  with  my  staff,  in  full-dress 
uniform,  on  our  minister  in  Tokio,  informed  him  of  my 
orders,  paid  my  respects  to  him  and  his  family,  and 
requested  that  he  take  the  proper  steps  to  have  me  pre 
sented  to  the  Emperor  and  the  officers  of  the  cabinet, 
all  of  which  he  afterwards  did  with  great  courtesy.  Then 
we  went  through  the  form  of  calling  on  the  members 
of  the  imperial  family  by  leaving  cards  at  their  houses. 
Then  the  same  was  done  for  all  the  foreign  ambassa 
dors.  This  consumed  the  entire  day,  and  I  returned  to 
my  flagship  to  wait  for  notice  as  to  when  I  would  be 
received  by  his  Majesty  the  Emperor.  I  took  advan- 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

tage  of  this  waiting  time  to  inform  the  minister  to 
China  and  Korea  officially  of  having  assumed  com 
mand,  and  then  did  the  same  for  the  admiral  or  officer 
in  command  of  each  foreign  naval  force  in  the  station. 
This,  with  the  detail  work  of  my  own  command,  made 
me  wish  that  the  days  were  forty-eight  hours  long  in 
stead  of  twenty- four! 

On  May  2d  his  Excellency,  Count  d'Arco  Valley, 
the  German  minister  to  Japan,  on  behalf  of  himself 
and  the  German  residents  of  Tokio  and  Yokohama, 
tendered  me  a  reception  at  the  Germania  Club,  in  Yoko 
hama.  The  various  diplomatic  and  consular  represent 
atives  accredited  to  Japan,  many  Japanese  officials,  and 
leading  foreigners  of  Tokio  and  Yokohama  were  pres 
ent.  All  the  American  officers  who  could  be  spared 
from  duty  were  present  to  show  their  appreciation  of 
the  unusual  courtesy  shown  us  by  Count  d'Arco  Valley, 
which,  though  extended  to  me  by  name,  was,  of  course, 
intended  as  a  compliment  to  my  country.  The  finest 
supper  that  Yokohama  could  furnish  was  served  at  mid 
night,  and  when  I  left  at  3  A.M.,  dancing  was  still  in 
progress.  This  reception  was  the  first  echo  of  Prince 
Henry's  visit  to  America  and  my  service  on  his  staff. 
It  was  repeated  on  every  occasion  during  my  tour  on 
the  station  whenever  I  fell  in  with  officers  of  the  Ger 
man  government,  either  civil  or  military.  Their  cour 
tesy  to  me  was  constant  and  unfailing,  and  extended  to 
every  officer  and  man  under  my  command.  I  conceived 
for  Count  d'Arco  Valley  not  only  a  feeling  of  great 
respect,  but  also  of  warm  friendship.  He  represented 
his  country  with  great  dignity  and  force  without,  as 
far  as  I  ever  heard,  giving  offence  or  injuring  the  feel- 

106 


The  Emperor  of  Japan 

ings  of  any  one.  He  was  a  kindly  soul,  filled  only  with 
charity  and  love  for  his  fellow-men. 

Our  minister,  Mr.  Buck,  having  informed  me  that 
their  imperial  Majesties  would  receive  me  in  audience 
on  May  3d,  I  proceeded  to  Tokio  with  my  staff  on  the 
morning  of  that  day  and  at  the  hour  appointed,  and  was 
received  by  the  Emperor,  and  half  an  hour  later  by  the 
Empress.  All  receptions  at  the  Japanese  court  are  most 
formal,  and  every  point  of  etiquette  carefully  observed ; 
but  the  grand  master  of  ceremonies  is  so  tactful  and 
courteous  that  we  passed  through  the  ordeal  most  pleas 
antly  and  without  embarrassment.  When  I  was  pre 
sented  to  his  Majesty  he  extended  his  hand  very  cor 
dially,  and  showed  every  sign  of  great  friendship  for 
the  country  I  had  the  honour  of  representing.  He  was 
dressed  in  the  full  uniform  of  a  field  marshal  of  France 
— red  trousers  and  blue  coat,  both  heavily  trimmed  with 
gold  braid,  and  his  breast  well  covered  with  decorations. 
His  clothes  fitted  him  so  badly  that  I  was  impelled  to 
mention  it  afterwards,  when  I  was  informed  that  the 
reason  for  it  was  that  his  tailor  when  measuring  him 
was  not  allowed  to  look  at  him,  but  had  to  get  his 
dimensions  by  feeling  for  them,  while  his  eyes  re 
mained  fixed  on  the  floor.  This  explanation  would  ex 
plain  the  misfit,  but  I  doubt  the  accuracy  of  it,  because  I 
believe  his  Majesty  has  too  much  good  common  sense 
to  put  up  with  anything  so  foolish.  But  it  is  quite 
possible  that  the  .awe  and  reverence  felt  for  this  won 
derful  monarch  might  prevent  his  tailor  from  using  his 
skill  and  handicraft  to  the  best  advantage. 

After  the  ordinary  assurances  that  one  always  re 
ceives  and  gives  on  such  occasions,  "  high  esteem  in 

107 


An  Admiral's  Log 

which  his  and  your  country  are  held,"  etc.,  etc.,  the 
Emperor  said  through  his  interpreter : 

"  I  understand,  Admiral,  that  you  were  in  Japan 
years  ago.  Do  you  find  many  changes  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Majesty,"  I  replied,  "  I  was  here  years 
ago,  and  I  find  everything  changed  except  Fujiyama!  " 

Fujiyama  is  the  beautiful  mountain,  almost  sacred 
to  the  Japanese,  which  stands  in  plain  sight  of  Yoko 
hama  and  Tokio.  My  reply  seemed  to  interest  as  well 
as  amuse  him,  and  led  to  a  pretty  sharp  cross-examina 
tion.  He  wanted  to  know  how  I  found  things  so 
changed,  and  I  told  him,  beginning  with  himself  as  an 
illustration.  I  said : 

"  You  will  recall,  your  Majesty,  that  at  the  time  of 
my  former  visit  you  were  a  youth,  confined  generally  to 
a  temple  and  regarded  as  a  sacred  being.  Now  you  are 
Emperor  of  a  great  country,  a  constitutional  monarchy, 
held  in  respect  by  all  the  world ;  then  Japan  had  a  navy 
composed  of  a  few  old  sailing  ships,  to-day  her  battle 
ships  are  second  to  none  in  the  world;  then  her  army 
was  divided  into  sections,  or  cliques,  each  one  owing 
allegiance  to  some  Daimio  or  Baron,  and  all  dressed  in 
grass  clothing  and  armed  with  swords  or  pikes,  while 
to-day  she  has  one  of  the  best-organised  armies  in  the 
world,  up  to  date  in  every  detail,  and  wonderful  in  effi 
ciency  ;  then  there  was  not  a  foot  of  railroad  or  a  yard 
of  telegraph  or  electric-light  wire  in  all  the  land,  while 
to-day  your  country  is  gridironed  with  railroads,  gir 
dled  with  telegraph  lines,  and  your  cities  beautifully 
lighted  by  electricity !  " 

As  I  went  on,  his  face  was  a  study.  Always  a 
strong,  rather  hard  face,  it  softened  as  he  listened  to 

108 


The  Empress  of  Japan 

me,  his  eyes  flashed,  and  he  smiled  with  satisfaction  at 
my  description.  My  audience  lasted  about  fifteen  min 
utes,  and  when  it  was  over  and  I  had  backed  out  of  the 
royal  presence  I  felt  sure  that  I  had  been  talking  with 
one  of  the  greatest  and  strongest  men  I  had  ever  met. 
At  the  time  of  which  I  speak  he  was  deeply  concerned 
over  the  relations  of  his  country  with  Russia,  which 
grew  more  and  more  strained  each  day.  It  was  re 
ported  and  believed  that  he  worked  eighteen  hours  out 
of  every  twenty-four,  and  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  the 
statement. 

The  officers  of  my  staff  having  all  been  presented 
to  the  Emperor,  we  withdrew  and  were  conducted  to 
the  apartments  of  the  Empress,  where  we  were  most 
graciously  received  by  her  Majesty.  The  hand-kissing 
custom  of  so  many  foreign  courts  was  not  favoured  or 
practised  in  Japan;  instead,  I  received  a  handshake 
from  a  very  shapely  and  beautiful  hand.  I  found  the 
Empress  a  woman  of  great  refinement,  perfect  ease  of 
manner,  so  delicate  in  appearance  and  small  of  figure 
as  to  remind  one  of  some  fine  piece  of  Dresden  china, 
attired  in  a  Paris  gown  of  heliotrope  brocade.  The  few 
words  she  exchanged  with  me  gave  me  the  impression 
that  she  had  the  same  friendly  feeling  for  us  as  had 
been  so  graciously  expressed  by  his  Majesty  the  Em 
peror.  The  ill  fit  of  the  beautiful  Paris  gown  worn  by 
the  Empress  was  accounted  for  in  the  same  way  as  the 
baggy  trousers  of  the  Emperor.  After  a  year  in  Japan 
I  was  satisfied  that  it  was  due  to  the  fact  that  a  tailor 
would  not  touch  the  person  of  either  of  their  Majesties; 
that  they  looked  at  them,  and  then  guessed  at  what  the 
measurement  should  be ! 

109 


An  Admiral's  Log 

After  being  presented  at  court,  calls  had  to  be  made 
on  each  member  of  the  cabinet.  These  were  all  most 
interesting,  as  they  gave  me  a  chance  to  see  the  men 
who  were  to  play  such  prominent  parts  in  the  struggle 
with  Russia,  that  was  now  rapidly  approaching  the 
point  of  diplomatic  rupture  between  the  two  countries. 
At  the  war  office  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  General 
Oyama,  who  later  led  the  armies  in  the  field.  The 
Minister  of  Marine,  Vice-Admiral  Baron  Yamamoto, 
had  appointed  an  hour  for  my  call,  and  after  half  an 
hour  with  him  in  his  private  office  he  invited  me  to 
luncheon,  where  I  found  a  number  of  the  most  promi 
nent  officers  of  the  Japanese  navy  assembled  to  meet 
me,  Admiral  Togo  being  one  of  them.  The  conversa 
tion  during  the  time  we  were  at  table  was  of  a  general 
character,  with  very  friendly  references  to  Commodore 
Perry's  expedition  and  its  influence  on  Japan.  After 
luncheon  I  had  another  short  talk  with  Baron  Yama 
moto,  in  which  he  made  it  very  plain  to  me  that  the 
course  of  aggression  then  being  followed  by  Russia 
toward  his  country  would,  if  persisted  in,  inevitably 
lead  to  war.  He  was  very  earnest,  but,  like  all  of  the 
men  of  his  nation,  his  face  was  absolutely  without  ex 
pression,  except  now  and  then  his  eyes  would  blaze 
like  a  coal  of  fire.  In  every  word  and  gesture  he 
showed  the  spirit  that  afterwards  resulted  in  the  won 
derful  victories  of  the  Japanese  navy  under  his  admin 
istration. 

While  all  this  official  calling  was  being  done — and 
it  is  astonishing  how  much  time  it  takes — I  was  busy 
in  my  leisure  moments  arranging  for  a  trip  around  the 
station  to  see  by  personal  inspection  just  what  the  con- 
no 


The    President's   Instructions 

ditions  were  and  how  to  better  them.  The  Kentucky 
required  docking,  and,  as  the  United  States  did  not 
own  a  dock  in  the  East  that  would  take  anything  larger 
than  a  small  gunboat,  we  had  to  rely  on  the  good-will 
of  others  for  our  docking  facilities.  There  was  one 
private  dock  at  Hong  Kong,  China,  that  would  receive 
the  Kentucky,  but  the  bubonic  plague  was  raging  at 
that  port,  and  I  did  not  care  to  take  the  chance  of  infec 
tion  from  that  complaint  if  it  could  be  avoided.  A 
request  was  sent  to  our  minister  at  Tokio  that  he  obtain 
permission  from  the  government  to  dock  the  flagship 
at  the  navy  yard  at  Yokosuka  when  convenient  for 
the  Japanese  officers  to  do  so.  The  request  was 
promptly  granted,  the  ship  docked,  cleaned,  and  painted, 
and  such  repairs  as  were  necessary  made,  the  charges 
for  the  work  being  the  same  as  they  would  have  been 
for  a  Japanese  ship. 

From  the  moment  I  took  command  of  the  squadron 
I  had  constantly  in  mind  the  last  words  spoken  to  me 
by  President  Roosevelt  before  leaving  Washington.  I 
had  called  on  him  to  say  good-bye,  and,  having  in  mind 
the  conditions  in  the  East,  I  asked  if  he  had  any  special 
instructions  for  me. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  replied.  "  Be  sure  every  night  when 
you  turn  in  that  your  command  is  in  better  shape  for  a 
fight  than  it  was  when  you  turned  out  in  the  morning !  " 

Very  simple  and  straight  from  the  shoulder,  surely, 
and  from  the  look  of  his  chin  and  the  way  his  teeth 
came  together  I  understood  that  he  meant  what  he  said. 
During  all  my  command  of  that  force  and,  later,  a 
much  larger  one,  I  endeavoured  to  carry  out  these  or 
ders — the  spirit  of  them  at  least. 

in 


An  Admiral's  Log 

The  policy  of  scattering  our  ships  about  over  the 
station  never  seemed  to  me  a  good  one,  except  in  the 
case  of  small  gunboats  for  river  service.  At  times, 
however,  it  was  necessary  to  do  so  because  of  the  de 
mands  of  our  diplomats,  our  missionaries,  and  Ameri 
can  interests  generally.  As  a  rule,  I  felt  that  it  was 
most  important,  from  every  point  of  view,  that  the 
squadron  should  be  kept  together.  There  is  no  greater 
incentive  to  efficiency  than  the  emulation  that  comes 
between  officers  and  crews  when  several  ships  are  in 
company,  and,  to  my  mind,  if  one  ship  can  make  a 
good  impression,  a  squadron  will  make  a  much  better 
and  more  lasting  one.  I  was  assured  at  the  Navy  De 
partment,  before  leaving  Washington,  that  this  was  the 
view  entertained  there,  and  that  they  wished  it  carried 
out  as  far  as  possible. 

The  Kentucky  was  reported  ready  for  sea,  and  on 
May  1 9th  we  left  Yokohama  and  ran  down  to  Kobe  for 
three  days,  and  then  through  the  beautiful  inland  sea 
by  way  of  the  straits  of  Shimoniseki  to  Nagasaki, 
where  we  found  the  New  Orleans,  a  sloop-of-war,  or, 
more  properly  speaking,  an  unarmoured  cruiser,  pur 
chased  in  England  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with 
Spain.  She  was  under  command  of  Captain  C.  S. 
Sperry,  and  in  excellent  condition. 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE   GERMAN    NAVAL   STATION    IN    CHINA 

IT  had  been  my  intention  to  spend  a  week  or  ten 
days  at  Nagasaki,  but  on  my  arrival  I  found  Asiatic 
cholera  of  a  very  virulent  nature  among  the  natives  on 
the  water  front,  which  determined  me  to  go  on  at  once 
to  the  new  German  naval  station  at  Tsingtao,  in  the 
province  of  Kiaochao.  There  was  much  interest  in  the 
Navy  Department  as  to  what  was  being  done  at  this 
point,  and  I  felt  sure  that  the  German  authorities  would 
give  me  any  information  that  I  could  reasonably  ask  of 
them. 

We  arrived  at  Tsingtao  on  the  3Oth  of  May,  after 
spending  two  days  at  sea  manoeuvring  the  Kentucky 
and  New  Orleans  in  preliminary  fleet  work.  Our  re 
ception  was  most  cordial,  and  every  one,  from  the  gov 
ernor  down  to  the  private  soldiers,  did  all  that  was  pos 
sible  to  make  us  comfortable  and  to  show  their  friendly 
feeling  for  us  and  our  country.  The  German  fleet  was 
in  port,  and  we  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  witness 
some  of  their  most  interesting  work.  The  admiral  in 
command  and  the  governor  each  detailed  an  officer  of 
rank  to  conduct  me  over  the  entire  reservation,  show 
me  what  had  been  done,  and  to  explain  to  me  the  plans 
for  the  completion  of  this  great  commercial  port  and 
harbour  of  refuge.  They  also  permitted  our  intelli- 


An  Admiral's  Log 

gence  officers  to  go  out  on  the  railroad,  which  had 
been  completed  something  over  one  hundred  miles,  and 
which  would,  later  on,  tap  the  valuable  coal  deposits 
and  bring  the  fuel  to  Tsingtao. 

A  short  account  of  this  German  colony  may  prove 
of  interest.  During  the  early  nineties  a  German  mis 
sionary  was  foully  murdered  somewhere  in  the  province 
of  Kiaochao,  on  the  Shantung  Peninsula.  Germany,  of 
course,  demanded  immediate  satisfaction,  and  Prince 
Henry  was  sent  out  there  in  command  of  a  German 
squadron  to  explain  just  what  kind  of  satisfaction 
would  be  accepted.  After  much  diplomatic  correspond 
ence,  backed  on  one  side  by  a  strong  naval  force,  com 
manded  by  a  determined  officer,  who  ranked  the  diplo 
mats  by  reason  of  his  relationship  to  his  Majesty  the 
Emperor,  the  negotiations  were  concluded,  and  the  out 
side  world  awoke  to  the  fact  that  Germany  had  secured 
the  lease  of  one  of  the  best  harbours  in  China  for 
ninety-nine  years.  Human  life  is  a  valuable  thing,  and 
every  government  has  the  right  to  place  such  valuation 
on  the  lives  of  its  subjects  as  may  seem  necessary  to 
protect  them.  This  they  always  do  after  the  person  is 
dead.  It  would  seem,  at  first  thought,  that  it  would  be 
a  fairer  proposition  to  state  beforehand  just  what  com 
pensation  would  be  exacted  for  each  life  taken.  The 
other  plan,  determining  what  the  compensation  shall  be 
after  the  death  of  the  subject,  has  very  decided  advan 
tages,  however,  for  one  side  at  least,  and  this  was  never 
more  clearly  shown  than  in  the  case  of  this  unfortunate 
missionary.  History,  I  think,  does  not  reveal  to  us  the 
life  of  any  other  man  which  was  held  at  such  a  high 
figure !  It  is  quite  possible  that  the  killing  of  the  poor 

114 


Naval  Bases  in  China 

missionary  was  not  so  serious  a  matter  as  was  the 
insult  to  his  government,  and  in  such  cases  the  compen 
sation  demanded  depends  largely  upon  the  needs  of  the 
insulted  government  in  that  particular  locality.  What 
was  the  thing  most  necessary  to  German  interests  in 
that  part  of  the  world  ? 

England,  as  is  well  known,  has  two  very  important 
stations,  or,  in  military  parlance,  bases,  in  China,  and 
because  of  her  vast  commercial  interests  it  was  gener 
ally  conceded  that  she  was  entitled  to  have  them.  Hong 
Kong  she  owned  outright  and  had  fortified  so  exten 
sively  that  it  was  considered  the  Gibraltar  of  the  East. 
Then  she  held  Wei-hei-wei,  a  Chinese  port  a  short  dis 
tance  south  of  Tsingtao,  under  a  lease  from  the  Chi 
nese  government,  and  used  it  as  a  naval  base.  It  was 
not  easily  fortified — that  is  to  say,  the  surrounding  land 
was  not  advantageous  for  forts  to  defend  the  entrance. 
The  English  officers,  one  school  of  them  at  least,  did 
not  regard  it  as  of  much  military  importance. 

Russia  owned  one  fine  base  in  the  far  north, 
Vladivostock,  but  because  of  the  heavy  ice  in  the 
winter  it  was  not  of  real  practical  value.  For  opera 
tions  in  China  it  was  absolutely  of  no  value  unless 
Russia  were  on  friendly  terms  with  Japan,  because 
the  latter  controlled  the  intervening  waters.  Imme 
diately  after  the  war  between  China  and  Japan,  and 
when  the  latter  had  clearly  won  Port  Arthur  and 
was  entitled  to  hold  it  permanently,  England,  Ger 
many,  and  Russia  combined  to  prevent  her  doing  so, 
and  Russia  got  possession  of  the  valuable  and  coveted 
port  only  because  one  of  her  torpedo  boats  proved  more 
speedy  than  an  English  cruiser.  Both  were  racing  for 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  port  with  orders  to  hoist  the  flag  and  take  posses 
sion,  but  the  torpedo  boat  arrived  first,  and  when  the 
cruiser  anchored  the  Russian  flag  was  flying  over  the 
place. 

Once  in  actual  occupation,  Russian  engineers  hur 
riedly  fortified  the  place,  both  on  the  land  and  water 
sides.  Vast  sums  of  money  were  spent  in  constructing 
forts  which,  viewed  from  the  outside,  seemed  to  war 
rant  the  assumption  that  it  was  impregnable,  but  when 
the  Japanese  army,  under  the  gallant  Nogi,  later  on 
undertook  its  reduction  this  assumption  was  not  borne 
out.  Dalny,  a  port  near  Port  Arthur,  of  which  I  shall 
write  later  on,  was  constructed  at  great  cost,  and  would 
have  proved  of  great  value  to  Russian  interests;  but  it 
fell  with  Port  Arthur,  and  Russia  again  found  herself 
without  the  ice- free  port  for  which  she  had  struggled  so 
long.  When  and  where  she  will  make  her  next  effort 
no  one  can  say,  but  that  present  conditions,  in  that 
respect,  are  almost  intolerable  all  must  concede.  If  any 
nation,  other  than  China,  is  to  hold  Port  Arthur  and 
Dalny,  all  fair-minded  men  will  admit  that  Japan  is 
the  one  because  of  the  price  in  blood  she  has  paid  for  it. 
Likewise,  I  think  the  historian  of  the  future  will  claim 
that  Russia  was  fairly  entitled  to  Constantinople  after 
her  magnificent  campaign  over  the  Balkans  against  the 
Turks.  If  England  had  not  interfered  to  prevent  it, 
Russia  would  have  settled  down  in  her  ice-free  port  on 
the  Bosphorus,  all  the  world  would  have  been  benefited, 
and  the  trouble  that  came  afterwards  over  Manchuria 
might  have  been  avoided. 

It  was  plain  to  all  thinking  men  that  Germany 
needed  two  things — a  navy  strong  enough  to  protect 

116 


Germany's  Concession 

her  rapidly  growing  merchant  marine,  and  fortified 
bases  abroad  from  which  she  could  operate  effectively 
in  case  of  necessity.  A  finely  organised  navy  league 
promised  to  supply  the  first  in  the  course  of  time,  and 
the  death  of  the  missionary,  or  rather  the  manner  of 
his  death,  was  the  entering  wedge  for  the  other. 
Whether  this  wedge  will  be  driven  home  to  its  full  ex 
tent  may  depend  somewhat  upon  the  interests  of  other 
nations  in  the  East.  The  Emperor  recognised  his  op 
portunity,  and,  as  usual  with  him,  acted  at  once  by 
sending,  as  before  stated,  a  strong  naval  force,  com 
manded  by  his  brother,  Prince  Henry  of  Prussia,  to 
demand  (from  the  Dowager  Empress  of  China  the  one 
thing  he  most  desired — a  naval  station  on  the  coast  of 
China.  The  demand  was  eventually  granted,  the  navy 
took  possession,  and  then  began  the  developments  of 
the  port  of  Tsingtao. 

The  concession  thus  obtained  was  a  most  valuable 
one.  Besides  containing  one  of  the  finest  and  most 
capacious  harbours  in  China,  it  included  a  large  amount 
of  territory,  extending  back  nearly  one  hundred  miles 
in  the  direction  of  valuable  coal  mines.  Once  in  actual 
possession,  the  German  authorities  went  to  work  in 
their  usual  thorough  manner.  Prince  Henry  and  the 
Princess  Irene  established  themselves  in  a  temple  in  the 
Chinese  village,  where  they  lived  for  many  months 
while  the  work  of  building  forts,  barracks,  and  officers' 
quarters  went  on.  As  these  were  completed,  they  were 
occupied  by  troops  from  Germany,  and  the  place  soon 
had  the  aspect  of  a  fortified  military  camp.  Heavy 
guns  were  mounted  in  forts  at  commanding  points,  and 
barracks  of  the  most  modern  construction  were  com- 
9  117 


An  Admiral's  Log 

pleted  capable  of  housing  a  large  number  of  troops. 
While  all  this  was  being  done  the  commercial  features 
of  the  port  were  not  neglected.  Complete  plans  were 
prepared  which  provided  for  harbour  facilities  equal  to 
any  to  be  found  east  of  Suez.  A  large  stone  break 
water  was  projected  and  work  on  it  begun.  This  was 
to  enclose  a  large  area  of  the  inner  harbour  and  render 
the  landing  of  passengers  and  freight  both  comfortable 
and  safe  in  any  kind  of  weather.  At  the  time  of  my 
visit  this  work  and  that  on  the  docks  was  approaching 
completion,  and  I  never  saw  finer  construction  any 
where  in  the  world. 

During  the  progress  of  these  improvements  friction 
developed  between  the  soldiers  and  the  natives,  which 
led  in  the  end  to  a  conflict  in  which  some  of  the  soldiers 
were  wounded  and  a  number  of  the  Chinese  killed. 
This  clearly  showed  that  the  boundaries  of  the  conces 
sion  were  too  contracted — in  other  words,  there  was 
not  room  enough  for  both  parties;  more  land  must  be 
conceded  at  once.  This  was  granted,  and  the  lines  ex 
tended  in  every  direction  except,  of  course,  toward 
the  water.  The  valuable  coal  mines  mentioned  above 
were  included  in  the  newly  ceded  territory  and  became 
the  property  of  the  German  government.  A  finely  con 
structed  railroad  was  at  once  built  to  these  mines,  and 
fuel  from  them  was  soon  being  delivered  at  Tsingtao. 

To  show  how  complete  the  work  of  the  new  occu 
pants  was,  I  will  give  an  example.  The  Chinese  town 
of  Tsingtao  was  located  on  the  water  front,  as  is  the 
case  with  most  fishing  towns  all  over  the  world.  The 
land  thus  held  was  wanted  for  the  proper  development 
of  the  new  city,  and  it  must,  therefore,  be  cleared  of  the 

118 


The  Germans  at  Tsingtao 

native  houses,  which  were  declared  to  be,  and  undoubt 
edly  were,  unsanitary  and  a  threat  to  the  health  of  the 
entire  community.  A  new  site  was  selected  for  the 
Chinese  town,  about  four  or  five  miles  away,  excellent 
sanitary  houses  were  built,  a  fine  water  supply  was  fur 
nished,  and  a  good  road  made  to  the  port.  Then  the 
Chinese  people,  bag  and  baggage,  were  moved  to  their 
new  homes  and  the  old  city  razed  to  the  ground.  A 
few  buildings,  such  as  the  temple  in  which  Prince 
Henry  had  lived,  were  left  standing,  but  all  the  rest 
were  torn  down,  the  debris  removed,  and  a  fine  public 
park  took  the  place  of  the  once  filthy  Chinese  town.  A 
portion  of  the  park  was  given  up  to  a  beautiful  garden, 
in  which,  among  other  things,  over  one  hundred  thou 
sand  young  trees  of  various  kinds  were  planted.  In 
addition,  much  of  the  land  on  the  surrounding  hills 
was  utilised,  until  over  one  million  trees  had  been 
planted.  This  part  of  China  is  devoid  of  anything  like 
shade  trees,  but  the  thoroughgoing  Germans  intended 
to  see  to  it  that  this  condition  was  changed,  and  I  wish 
them  every  success. 

In  laying  out  their  new  city  those  in  charge  showed 
wonderful  sense  and  judgment.  Near  the  steamboat 
wharves  ample  space  was  left  for  warehouses  and  the 
like;  then  came  the  business  portion  for  native  mer 
chants,  and  here  great  care  was  shown  in  the  construc 
tion  of  the  houses,  built  by  the  government  and  leased 
to  the  tenants.  Each  one  was  designed  to  give  plenty  of 
light  and  fresh  air  and  permit  thorough  inspection  at 
any  time ;  then  followed  the  business  quarter  for  foreign 
merchants,  where  any  one,  under  certain  reasonable  re 
strictions,  could  build  his  store  and  conduct  his  business. 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

Farther  along  still  came  the  residence  district,  and 
then  on  the  water  front,  overlooking  the  most  beautiful 
sand  beach  in  China,  came  the  site  for  hotels.  Owing 
to  its  geographical  position  and  fine  climate,  Tsingtao 
will  attract  a  great  many  people  from  places  south  of  it, 
such  as  Hong  Kong  and  Singapore,  in  the  summer  and 
from  places  north  of  it  in  winter.  It  has,  therefore,  a 
fine  prospect  of  becoming  the  greatest  seaside  resort  in 
all  the  East.  Its  value  as  a  naval  base  cannot  be  over 
estimated  ;  its  possession  simply  puts  Germany  in  a  bet 
ter  position  for  military  operations  than  any  other  na 
tion,  with  the  single  exception  of  Japan.  The  money 
spent  at  Tsingtao  has  caused  much  unfavourable  com 
ment  from  those  politically  opposed  to  his  Majesty  the 
Emperor,  but,  unless  all  leading  professional  minds  are 
very  wrong,  the  day  will  come  when  it  will  be  plain  to 
all  that  the  indemnity  exacted  for  the  death  of  the 
missionary,  and  the  subsequent  development  of  Tsing 
tao,  was  one  of  the  greatest  plays  ever  made  by  this 
giant  among  rulers,  the  Emperor  of  Germany. 

During  our  stay  at  Tsingtao  we  were  allowed  to 
inspect  the  rifle  ranges  on  shore,  where  the  troops  were 
constantly  at  practice  from  daylight  until  sundown. 
Our  ordnance  officers  obtained  much  valuable  informa 
tion  in  this  way,  but  nothing  bearing  on  their  method 
of  naval  practice  could  be  learned.  They  kept  that  a 
profound  secret,  and,  of  course,  we  could  not  ask  them 
to  give  it  away.  We  saw  their  great  gun  targets,  how 
ever,  when  they  were  towed  in  at  night,  and  learned 
that  all  their  firing  was  done  at  sea.  The  targets  we 
had  a  chance  to  inspect  did  not  show  very  severe  pun 
ishment,  which  was  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  only 

1 20 


German  Naval   Methods 

newly  arrived  recruits  had  been  firing  at  them.  As  to 
how  the  range  of  the  target  was  obtained,  or  the  kind 
of  sights  in  use,  we  could  get  no  hint,  which  seemed 
curious  to  us,  particularly  in  reference  to  the  sights,  as 
we  kept  ours  on  the  guns,  as  a  rule,  where  any  one 
wishing  to  do  so  could  examine  them.  They  were  so 
bad  that  we  would  have  been  glad  to  have  any  other 
navy  adopt  them !  Later,  when  this  condition  had  been 
changed,  we  were  as  careful  to  conceal  them  as  the 
German  officers  were  to  hide  theirs. 

In  the  important  matter  of  changing  the  crews,  re 
lieving  the  men  whose  term  of  service  had  expired,  the 
admiral  was  kind  enough  to  give  me  full  details,  and  I 
found  them  of  such  interest  that  I  reported  them  to  the 
Navy  Department.  On  leaving  home,  the  crews  of  the 
German  ships  for  the  Asiatic  station  were  so  arranged 
that  the  time  of  half  of  each  ship's  company  expired  at 
practically  the  same  time.  A  transport  from  home, 
each  year,  brought  out  the  new  men;  the  fleet  was 
assembled  at  Tsingtao;  the  transfer  was  made  in  one 
day,  and  the  old  men  sent  home.  Thus  each  ship  found 
herself  with  one-half  her  men  absolutely  without  ship 
training,  as  they  had  come  from  barracks  on  shore, 
where  they  were  mustered  for  their  turn  of  compulsory 
military  duty.  Each  new  man,  after  reaching  his  ship, 
was  placed  in  charge  of  his  mate,  or  comrade,  who 
proceeded  at  once  to  teach  him  the  duties  of  his  station. 
It  was  astonishing  to  see  how  short  a  time  was  neces 
sary  under  this  system  to  bring  a  ship's  company  to  an 
efficient  state  of  drill.  In  our  own  service  we  have  no 
such  system — nothing  to  compare  with  it.  In  the  English 
service  the  crew  of  a  ship  on  the  Asiatic  station  serves 

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three  years,  and  is  then  required  to  scrape  and  repaint 
the  ship  and  put  her  in  first-class  condition,  when  they 
are  relieved  and  a  new  lot  takes  charge.  With  us  we 
simply  discharge  men,  day  by  day,  as  their  term  expires, 
and  send  them  home  by  mail  steamer  or  transport. 
When  the  crew  has  thus  been  reduced,  sometimes  to  a 
dangerous  extent,  the  Navy  Department,  if  it  has  the 
men  to  spare,  sends  out  a  draft,  and  the  recruits  are 
distributed  among  the  ships  most  needing  them.  If  the 
department  happens  to  be  short  of  men,  which  is  gener 
ally  the  case  for  foreign  service,  the  captain  struggles 
on  with  his  short  crew  as  best  he  can.  Extra  work  is, 
of  course,  required  from  those  on  board,  and  this  causes 
much  dissatisfaction  and  growling.  This  may  properly 
be  called  not  a  system,  but  a  want  of  one,  and  compares 
most  unfavourably  with  that  of  our  German  friends. 


CHAPTER   XII 

TARGET    PRACTICE   AT    CHEFOO 

WE  celebrated  the  Fourth  of  July  at  Tsingtao,  the 
military  and  naval  authorities  joining  heartily  with  us 
in  doing  so,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  sailed  for 
Chefoo,  China,  where  we  arrived  the  following  day. 
The  French  fleet  was  in  port,  and  I  found  the  Japanese 
residents  in  a  state  of  excitement  because  the  French 
flag  was  flying  over  one  of  the  islands  at  the  entrance 
of  the  harbour.  Relations  between  Russia  and  Japan 
were  growing  more  and  more  strained  every  day,  and 
the  sight  of  this  flag  indicated  to  the  Japanese  mind 
that  the  island  was  occupied  in  order  to  give  assistance 
to  Russia  in  some  way.  Captain  Sah,  of  the  Chinese 
navy,  was  in  port  in  a  fine  cruiser,  and  he  also  saw 
some  deep-laid  scheme  concealed  under  this  flag.  He 
called  on  me  immediately,  recited  his  fears,  and  asked 
me  what  action  I  was  going  to  take  in  the  matter.  I 
told  him  that  it  was  none  of  my  business,  and  that  I 
did  not  propose  to  take  any  action  toward  having  the 
flag  removed,  but  that  I  would  find  out  what  it  all 
meant.  So,  when  I  called  on  the  admiral,  he  explained 
that  a  few  years  before  the  body  of  a  French  sailor  had 
been  buried  on  the  island,  and  that  this  was  the  reason 
for  showing  the  flag,  which  was  hauled  down  a  few 
days  later  and  a  small  one  substituted  at  the  head  of 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

the  grave.  A  trifling  incident  in  times  of  excitement 
may  cause  serious  trouble. 

Chefoo  harbour,  by  reason  of  its  location  and  facili 
ties,  had  long  been  a  favourite  place  for  target  practice, 
and  many  foreign  fleets  had  used  it  for  that  purpose. 
There  was  no  reasonable  objection  to  this  so  long  as 
the  firing  was  done  on  the  outlying  islands,  but  when 
the  targets  were  placed  in  the  harbour  it  was  quite  an 
other  thing.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  the  French  ships 
were  firing  from  their  anchorages,  making  the  passage 
to  and  from  the  shore  dangerous,  and  the  Chinese  au 
thorities  were  unable  to  prevent  it.  As  I  was  on  my 
way  to  make  an  official  call,  the  bullets  flew  over  and 
about  my  boat  in  such  numbers  that  I  was  compelled  to 
change  my  course  to  avoid  an  accident.  This,  of 
course,  brought  a  strong  protest  to  the  admiral,  which 
caused  the  ranges  to  be  changed,  but  the  change  was 
only  temporary,  for  a  valuable  young  officer  was  actu 
ally  killed  on  the  bridge  of  one  of  our  ships  in  this  har 
bour,  a  few  years  later,  by  a  bullet  from  a  French  war 
ship  at  target  practice.  This  unfortunate  accident  will 
probably  stop  such  practice  in  the  future. 

The  necessary  authority  to  occupy  one  of  these 
islands  having  been  secured  through  the  efforts  of  our 
consul,  preparation  was  made  for  small-arm  practice 
on  a  scale  not  before  undertaken.  Regulation  targets 
were  landed  and  ranges  laid  out  for  firing  at  distances 
up  to  one  thousand  yards,  and  all  connected  with  the 
firing  points  by  telephone.  Tents  were  also  landed  and 
a  camp  established,  so  that  men  could  remain  on  shore 
until  their  practice  was  completed,  thus  saving  much 
valuable  time.  Both  officers  and  men  took  the  great- 

124 


Target  Practice 

est  interest  in  the  work,  and  I  think  I  may  fairly  say 
that  this  was  the  beginning  that  led  eventually  to  our 
sailors  beating  all  other  arms  of  the  service — marines, 
cavalry,  infantry,  artillery,  and  militia — with  rifles  and 
winning  the  national  trophy,  of  which  they  are  justly 
so  proud.  I  had  always  been  very  fond  of  target  shoot 
ing  myself  with  every  kind  of  firearm,  from  a  revolver 
to  a  twelve-inch  rifle,  and,  once  in  a  position  of  com 
mand  where  I  could  do  so,  I  determined  to  create  the 
same  interest  in  the  officers  and  men  if  I  could. 

At  the  close  of  the  Spanish  War  it  was  evident  that 
the  hitting  power  of  our  guns  was  not  what  it  should 
be,  and  I  determined  that,  if  the  chance  ever  came  my 
way,  I  would  improve  it,  at  least  I  would  make  an  hon 
est  effort  to  do  so.  The  opportunity  had  now  come, 
and  I  took  advantage  of  it.  How  I  did  this  I  will  try 
to  make  plain,  but  before  doing  so  I  wish  to  state  that 
whatever  success  I  achieved  was  due  to  the  efforts  of 
the  able  officers  on  my  staff  and  the  hard-working  ord 
nance  officers  of  the  fleet  rather  than  to  anything  I  did. 
Without  them  I  should  undoubtedly  have  met  with  a 
miserable  failure.  Other  commanders-in-chief  who 
preceded  me  no  doubt  felt,  as  I  did,  the  importance  of 
such  work,  but  the  favourable  conditions  prevailing  in 
my  time  were  not  so  common  in  theirs.  They  worked 
hard  and  no  good  ranges  were  th'en  available. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1865,  target 
practice  in  the  navy  gradually  ran  down  until  it  came 
to  be  regarded  as  of  little  importance.  The  regulations 
required  that  we  should  have  it  so  many  times  each 
year,  and  that  we  should  follow  certain  prescribed 
forms  in  the  firing  and  afterwards  in  reporting  results. 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

There  was  no  real  interest  in  the  work.  The  usual  cus 
tom  was  to  throw  overboard  a  barrel  or  raft  showing  a 
red  flag,  then  steam  around  it  and  fire  the  allowance 
of  ammunition,  after  which  we  went  on  our  way,  glad 
the  practice  was  over. 

Most  captains  and  all  executive  officers  looked  on  it 
as  a  necessary  evil,  as  it  blackened  the  decks  and  the 
paintwork,  broke  more  or  less  chinaware,  and  was  gen 
erally  a  nuisance.  For  other  officers  it  was  a  time  of 
discomfort;  and  they  saw  no  real  good  in  it.  They 
were  using  the  same  old  smooth-bore,  muzzle-loading 
guns  with  which  we  had  fought  out  the  Civil  War,  and 
nobody  took  much  interest  in  finding  out  how  well  or 
how  badly  they  could  shoot.  A  few  Parrott  cast-iron 
rifles  were  afloat,  but  so  many  of  them  had  burst  dur 
ing  the  war,  and  so  many  good  men  had  been  killed  by 
these  accidents,  that  we  had  neither  confidence  in  the 
guns  nor  affection  for  them.  We  were  always  glad 
when  the  last  shot  had  been  fired  from  one  of  them  and 
nobody  had  been  hurt. 

The  sights  in  use  at  that  time  were  the  same  open 
bar  sights  that  we  had  always  used,  and  in  this  respect 
we  were  no  worse  than  the  navies  of  the  rest  of  the 
world.  While  the  guns  were  being  fired,  an  officer,  sta 
tioned  at  some  convenient  point  on  the  ship,  observed  the 
fall  of  each  projectile',  and  reported  to  the  men  at  the 
gun  whether  it  was  good  or  bad.  Sometimes  it  was  "  a 
good  line  shot,  a  little  over  " ;  or  "  a  good  line  shot,  a 
little  short  " ;  or  "  elevation  good,  a  little  to  the  right  " 
or  "  a  little  to  the  left."  How  much  to  the  right,  left, 
short,  or  over  was  a  matter  of  pure  guesswork  on  the 
part  of  the  observer. 

126 


In  the  Old  Way 

The  gun  pointers  were  drilled  to  aim  in  the  old  way 
— that  is  to  say,  the  gun  was  so  trained  that  the  sights 
would  come  on  the  target  as  the  ship  came  to  the  top  of 
the  sea  and  began  to  roll  toward  the  target.  Firing 
on  the  "  weather  roll  "  it  was  called,  and  it  was  good 
practice  in  those  days,  because  it  ensured  the  shot  a 
chance  to  hit  the  target  on  ricochet  if  it  missed  it  direct. 
The  gun  was  never  pointed  directly  at  the  target  except 
in  a  dead  calm  or  when  the  wind  was  directly  from  or 
toward  it;  at  other  times  it  was  pointed  to  the  left  or 
right  of  the  target,  according  to  the  direction  and  force 
of  the  wind;  the  allowance  to  be  made  was  a  question 
for  the  gun  captain  to  decide  for  himself.  One  often 
heard  the  division  officer  say,  "  Lay  your  gun  about  the 
length  of  a  handspike  to  the  right,"  or  "  Leave  your 
sights  open  to  the  right." 

It  was  surprising  to  see  how  well  men  could  point 
guns  under  such  crude  conditions  and  to  note  the  num 
ber  of  shots  that  went  neither  to  the  right  nor  left,  but 
in  line  with  the  target,  a  few  of  them  over  and  many  of 
them  short.  Sometimes  the  target  was  struck,  but  gen 
erally  it  escaped.  The  number  of  hits  was  about  equal 
to  the  number  of  misses  to-day. 

As  the  ordnance  people  began  to  give  us  new  guns, 
the  sights  were  somewhat  improved,  but  it  was  a  long 
time  before  we  had  anything  that  would  to-day  be 
called  a  moderately  accurate  sight. 

When  some  of  the  eleven-inch  cast-iron  guns  had 
been  lined  with  steel  and  converted  into  eight-inch 
rifles,  and  a  few  small  breech-loading  guns  had  been 
supplied,  the  rules  for  target  practice  were  changed, 
more  interest  was  taken  in  the  work,  but  results  were 

127 


y\n  Admiral's  Log 

still  unsatisfactory,  because  the  system  was  wrong. 
The  target  used  was  triangular,  and  the  shots  were 
plotted  by  the  use  of  what  is  known  as  the  T-square. 
Only  the  shots  that  actually  struck  the  target  could  be 
accurately  known,  the  T-square  being  too  rough  an 
instrument  for  fine  work.  Every  shot  that  seemed  to 
pass  through  what  the  target  would  have  been  had  it 
been  square  instead  of  triangular  was  marked  as  a  hit, 
and  I  am  quite  safe  in  stating  that  more  than  half  the 
shots  so  marked  were  really  misses,  and  should  have 
been  so  marked. 

By  following  this  very  imperfect  system  of  prac 
tice  our  officers  and  men  were  deceived  into  believing 
that  they  could  shoot  fairly  well;  and  so  they  could,  as 
compared  with  men  of  other  navies  who  used  the  same 
kind  of  practice  and  shot  at  the  same  kind  of  targets  in 
the  same  way.  In  reality  all  our  shooting  was  very 
poor  and  inaccurate.  But  as  new  ships  were  built  and 
commissioned,  and  more  modern  guns  were  supplied, 
things  began  to  look  brighter  in  this  respect. 

When,  finally,  a  few  battleships  became  available, 
the  accuracy  of  the  new  guns  began  to  be  appreciated, 
but  we  still  held  to  the  triangular  target,  with  all  its 
misleading  results.  More  hits  were  made,  because  the 
guns  and  powder  were  better  and  the  trajectory  of 
the  shot  much  flatter,  but  the  shots  near  the  upper  part 
of  the  target  which  were  supposed  to  pass  through  the 
corners  of  the  square  target — if  it  had  been  square — 
were  still  marked  as  hits.  Even  worse  than  this,  how 
ever,  was  the  want  of  interest  in  officers  and  men  in 
developing  the  hitting  power  of  the  guns.  Target 
practice  was  still  looked  upon  with  disfavour,  because  it 

128 


Early  Torpedo    Practice 

soiled  the  decks  and  the  paintwork  and  made  people 
uncomfortable. 

During  the  summers  of  1896  and  1897  the  late 
Rear-Admiral  Francis  M.  Bunce,  then  commanding 
the  North  Atlantic  Squadron,  began  a  system  of  target 
practice  which  proved  of  immense  value  to  the  service. 
He  still  retained  the  triangular  target,  but  he  took  great 
pains  to  find  out  which  shots  really  struck  it.  The 
whole  squadron  spent  days  on  the  target  range,  instead 
of  hours,  and  it  was  made  evident  that  we  would  con 
tinue  this  practice  until  the  commander-in-chief  was 
satisfied  with  our  performance.  For  the  first  time  in 
our  service  torpedoes  were  given  a  fair  trial  at  sea,  and 
our  surprise  was  great  when  we  saw  how  many  unex 
pected  things  this  much-advertised  weapon  could  do 
and  how  seldom  we  could  make  it  strike  the  obstacle 
aimed  at.  We  had  in  former  years  used  the  "  spar  tor 
pedo,"  the  "  bag  of  powder  on  the  end  of  a  pole  "  with 
which  Gushing  so  gallantly  destroyed  the  Confederate 
ironclad  Albemarle. 

I  recall  the  surprise  of  a  lot  of  Italian  officers  dur 
ing  a  former  cruise  in  a  Spanish-Mediterranean  port 
when  I,  as  ordnance  officer,  fired  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pounds  of  powder  from  a  water  breaker,  or  keg, 
on  the  end  of  our  lower  boom.  Orders  were  imperative 
that  we  must  fire  these  torpedoes  at  certain  stated  inter 
vals,  and  our  captain  enforced  the  order.  On  this  occa 
sion  an  Italian  ironclad  was  moored  next  to  us  and 
very  close.  When  I  received  the  order  I  guyed  the 
lower  boom  as  far  forward  as  I  could,  lowered  the  end 
of  it  well  under  water,  and  then  touched  the  key  of  the 
battery.  There  was  a  tremendous  explosion,  and  a 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

column  of  water  and  mud  shot  up  two  hundred  feet  into 
the  air.  When  the  smoke  had  cleared  away,  our  lower 
boom  was  gone  and  the  beautiful  ironclad  was  covered 
with  mud — and  very  foul  mud  it  was — for  more  than 
half  of  her  length.  It  was  like  the  old-fashioned  Chi 
nese  throwing  of  "  stink  pots."  Of  course,  we  apolo 
gised  promptly,  and  then  spent  two  days  scrubbing  the 
vile  stuff  from  off  our  rigging. 

Admiral  Bunce  continued  his  target  practice  until 
a  large  amount  of  ammunition  had  been  expended  and 
the  men  became  proficient  in  handling  the  guns,  if  not 
in  hitting  the  target.  To  his  persistence  in  this  work 
and  the  general  drill  of  the  fleet  I,  and  many  other  offi 
cers,  attribute  our  success  in  the  Spanish-American 
War. 

At  Santiago  we  thought  our  shooting  fairly  good, 
but  learned  later  by  the  testimony  of  an  expert  before 
the  Senate  Naval  Committee  that  it  was  disgracefully 
bad.  Whether  it  was  good,  bad,  or  disgraceful,  the 
fact  remains  that  we  destroyed  the  Spanish  squadron 
in  record  time,  and  the  impression  among  those  en 
gaged  in  the  battle  was  that  this  complete  destruction 
was  the  result  of  our  good  shooting. 

It  is  eminently  unfair  to  compare  our  firing  then 
with  what  we  could  do  to-day.  That  it  was  as  good  as 
or  better  than  any  other  service  could  have  done  at  the 
time  seems  established  by  the  very  favourable  reports  of 
many  foreign  critics. 

When  the  Spanish  War  had  passed  into  history, 
many  officers  of  the  navy  became  thoroughly  aroused 
and  deeply  interested  in  this  most  important  subject — 
the  hitting  power  of  our  guns.  Those  who  came  under 

130 


Smokeless  Powder 

my  personal  observation  I  shall  mention  by  name.  A 
great  many  hard  workers  in  the  cause  of  target  practice 
did  not  serve  under  my  immediate  command,  and  I  can 
not,  therefore,  give  them  the  credit  due  them,  as  other 
wise  I  should  certainly  be  glad  to  do. 

The  use  of  smokeless  powder  for  the  navy  became 
general  immediately  after  the  Spanish  War;  during  that 
conflict  we  had  used  it  for  the  smaller  guns  only,  and 
brown  prismatic  powder  for  the  larger  guns.  During 
the  practice  which  I  had  ordered  as  a  part  of  the  inspec 
tion  of  the  ships  of  the  squadron  at  Chefoo,  full  service 
charges  of  smokeless  powder  were  to  be  used  with 
loaded  shells,  and  I  believe  this  was  the  first  time  such 
target  practice  was  held  in  our  navy.  The  introduction 
of  the  new  powder  had  necessitated  the  resighting  of 
all  the  guns,  and  the  work  had  been  done  by  the  Ord 
nance  Department  as  rapidly  as  possible.  The  poor 
work  turned  out  may  have  been  unavoidable,  but  to 
those  of  us  who  had  to  deal  practically  with  the  sights 
it  seemed  as  if  they  had  better  never  have  been  made — 
they  were  either  wrong  in  principle  or  defective  in 
manufacture. 

The  Kentucky  was  fortunate  in  having  Lieutenant 
Carlos  B.  Brittain  as  her  gunnery  officer.  He  had 
given  much  time  and  thought  to  the  subject  of  target 
practice,  and  was  able  and  enthusiastic  in  his  efforts  to 
carry  out  the  scheme  I  had  outlined.  She  was  also 
fortunate  in  having"  among  her  division  officers  Lieu 
tenant  Ridley  McLean,  one  of  the  ablest  gunnery  offi 
cers  of  the  navy.  These  two,  co-operating  cordially 
with  the  officers  on  my  staff,  soon  made  it  clear  to  me 
that  I  might  expect  a  large  measure  of  success. 


An  Admiral's  Log 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  install  some  device 
by  which  the  men,  gun  pointers  and  others  as  well, 
would  have  proper  training  in  pointing  a  gun,  and  then 
to  determine  where  the  shot  would  strike  if  the  gun 
were  fired.  This  drill,  to  do  any  real  good,  must  be 
had  at  least  twice  a  day,  and  to  fire  the  gun  so  often 
was  out  of  the  question;  so  a  number  of  small  guns 
called  Flobert  rifles  were  bought,  with  a  plentiful  sup 
ply  of  ammunition  for  them.  These  small  rifles  were 
fixed  to  the  turret  and  broadside  guns  in  such  a  way 
that  the  training  of  the  smaller  guns  trained  the  larger 
ones  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  way.  Thus,  in 
order  to  bring  the  small  rifle  to  bear  on  the  target,  the 
mechanism  of  the  larger  gun  had  to  be  used  for  the 
purpose.  I  had  seen  this  done  years  before,  and  I  con 
sidered  it  very  effective. 

The  next  step  was  to  provide  a  suitable  target,  and 
this  proved  difficult.  I  requested  Lieutenants  Brittain, 
Chapin,  and  McLean  to  draw  a  diagram  of  a  battleship 
which,  when  placed  a  few  feet  from  the  muzzle  of  the 
big  gun,  would  appear  like  a  battleship  at  a  range  of 
two  thousand  yards.  They  gave  much  time  to  the 
work,  and  when  it  was  finished  the  target  seemed  very 
suitable,  but  we  had  to  fire  only  a  few  shots  at  it  to  be 
convinced  that  it  would  not  answer  the  purpose.  One 
shot  would  destroy  the  entire  end  of  the  small  battle 
ship,  and  half  a  dozen  shots  completely  destroyed  the 
target,  so  we  substituted  a  miniature  great  gun  target, 
such  as  we  would  use  in  our  regular  target  practice,  and 
this  proved  satisfactory.  Such  a  device  is  now  used  on 
all  ships  of  the  navy.  These  targets  were  then  printed 
on  tough  brown  paper  and  thousands  of  them  were  sent 

132 


The  Ping-Pong  Machine 

to  each  ship.  Copies  were  also  sent  to  the  Navy  De 
partment. 

Having  succeeded  in  the  design,  it  was  then  neces 
sary  to  mount  the  target  in  front  of  the  gun  for  ser 
vice.  This  was  done  by  using  a  small  spar,  one  end  so 
secured  that  the  outer  end  could  move  freely  up  and 
down  and,  at  the  same  time,  sideways.  To  impart 
these  motions  suitable  pulleys  were  connected  with  the 
spar.  Then  on  the  outer  end  was  placed  the  target, 
and  behind  this  a  suitable  box  to  catch  the  bullets  after 
they  had  passed  through  the  paper.  For  want  of  a 
better  name,  we  called  this  "  the  ping-pong  machine," 
and  it  bears  that  name  in  the  service  to-day,  though  per 
sistent  efforts  have  been  made  from  time  to  time  to 
change  it  to  "  Morris  tube,"  in  imitation  of  the  English 
device  used  for  the  same  purpose.  A  few  officers  of 
our  navy  can  see  good  only  in  things  of  English  origin. 

It  will  be  seen  that  by  using  the  ping-pong  device  de 
scribed  above,  a  motion  could  be  given  the  target  which 
closely  resembled  the  rolling  motion  of  a  ship  at  sea. 
Then,  if  the  gun  could  be  constantly  trained  on  this 
target,  we  would  get  the  same  effect  as  if  the  real  gun 
were  being  fired  at  a  floating  target.  Orders  were 
given  that  all  guns  should  use  the  new  device,  or  rather 
that  all  gun  pointers  should  use  it  every  day,  and  the 
best  target  made  by  each  one  should  be  forwarded  to 
me  the  day  following  the  practice.  The  old  system  of 
pointing  on  the  weather  roll  was  abandoned,  and  a  new 
one,  known  as  the  "  constant-aim  drill/'  substituted,  by 
which  the  sights  were  to  be  constantly  kept  on  the  tar 
get,  and  the  gun  fired  as  often  as  it  could  be  loaded. 

Every  ship  in  the  squadron  was  furnished  with  a 
10  133 


An  Admiral's  Log 

ping-pong  machine,  and  to  keep  them  going  I  pur 
chased  all  the  Flobert  ammunition  in  the  East,  and 
directed  the  merchants  selling  it  to  send  for  more.  The 
Kentucky  alone  fired  five  thousand  rounds  a  day. 
Officers  and  men  were  most  earnest  in  their  efforts  and 
enthusiastic  over  the  work.  Improvement  was  marked 
and  steady,  and  all  hoped  for  good  results.  In  order 
that  the  Department  might  be  advised  of  what  I  was 
doing,  I  sent  to  the  proper  bureau  a  large  number  of 
paper  targets  which  had  been  fired  at. 

One  of  the  ships  of  the  squadron,  the  New  Orleans, 
purchased  in  England  before  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Spanish-American  War,  was  armed  with  English  guns 
and  supplied  with  cordite  charges.  The  command 
ing  officer  of  this  ship,  Commander,  now  Rear-Ad 
miral,  C.  S.  Sperry,  was  noted  as  an  ordnance  expert 
and  an  officer  of  great  general  ability.  In  addition 
to  giving  his  men  very  thorough  drill,  he  had  rigged 
on  his  ship  a  machine  known  as  a  "  dotter,"  which  was, 
generally  speaking,  the  same  as  the  machine  in  the 
English  navy  used  for  the  same  purpose.  In  this  de 
vice  a  pencil  point  made  a  mark  on  the  target,  and  thus 
took  the  place  of  the  bullet  fired  from  the  Flobert  rifle. 
This  was  the  only  one  in  the  squadron  and  was  fitted 
before  I  took  command. 

Ping-pong  machines  were  afterwards  fitted  for  the 
New  Orleans,  as  it  was  found  that  the  gun  pointers 
preferred  them  to  the  English  machine.  They  wanted 
to  hear  the  sound  of  the  gun  firing,  and  see  the  hole 
made  by  the  bullet. 

On  July  Qth  the  New  Orleans  was  inspected,  and  a 
part  of  her  inspection  consisted  in  firing  her  guns  one 

134 


Results  of  Firing 

after  another  as  rapidly  as  it  could  safely  be  done.  A 
regulation  size  target  was  carefully  whitewashed  on  the 
face  of  a  rock,  and  the  ship  steamed  up  and  down  in 
front  of  it  at  a  speed  of  ten  knots,  just  as  is  done  to 
day,  and  fired  until  each  gun  pointer  had  exhausted  his 
allowance.  The  accuracy  and  rapidity  of  the  firing  was 
promising  and  gave  evidence  of  careful  training. 

I  remember  well  how  the  first  shot  from  a  six-inch 
gun  knocked  the  bull's  eye  out  of  the  target,  and  that 
one  of  the  guns  made  fifteen  consecutive  hits.  The  guns 
and  their  mounts  functioned  well,  but  the  four-and- 
seven-tenths-inch  guns  showed  a  tendency  to  jamb  the 
breech  blocks,  which  made  the  firing  slow.  The  recoil 
of  these  weapons  was  very  violent  and  often  injured 
the  men  firing  them.  One  man  had  his  collar  bone 
broken  in  this  way. 

The  Kentucky  went  on  the  range  July  iQth  for  her 
firing,  and  the  results  were  in  some  respects  startling. 
The  five-inch  guns  did  fairly  well,  somewhat  better  than 
the  six-inch  of  the  New  Orleans,  but  the  turret  guns 
gave  such  bad  results  that  I  stopped  the  firing  of  them. 
The  sights  and  their  connections  were  so  faulty  from 
one  cause  or  another  that  they  jarred  out  of  adjustment 
with  each  discharge. 

The  fact  that  the  gun  pointers  could  shoot  accurately 
and  rapidly  when  supplied  with  proper  sights  had  been 
fully  established,  and  this  had  been  done  through  the 
efforts  of  the  officers  I  have  named,  Chapin,  McLean, 
and  Brittain  being  the  leaders.  Our  success,  such  as  it 
was,  was  due  to  their  efforts  and  the  system  we  had 
adopted,  and  was  not  in  any  remote  degree  the  result 
of  what  had  been  done  in  any  other  navy. 

135 


An  Admiral's  Log 

I  had  never  heard  of  the  wonderful  firing  done  by 
that  excellent  officer,  Captain,  now  Admiral,  Sir  Percy 
Scott,  of  the  British  navy,  and  I  doubt  if  any  one  of 
my  able  assistants  ever  had.  Certainly,  if  they  had, 
they  did  not  follow  his  methods,  but  worked  out  their 
own.  Yet  for  all  the  good  work  they  did,  one  never 
hears  their  names  mentioned  in  connection  with  naval 
target  practice.  Lieutenant  William  S.  Sims,  who  has 
since  given  much  assistance  and  advice  as  inspector  of 
target  practice,  was,  at  the  time  of  which  I  speak,  doing 
duty  as  a  watch  officer  on  the  New  York,  flagship  of  the 
commander-in-chief. 

When  the  practice  at  Chefoo  had  been  completed, 
ping-pong  practice  was  again  taken  up,  and  much  more 
time  given  to  it  than  formerly.  I  quote  the  following 
from  a  letter  received  from  an  officer  serving  at  that 
time  under  my  command : 

"  The  principles  of  fast  and  straight  shooting  had 
been  found  and  applied.  Many  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  ping-pong  bullets  were  expended  on  the  Kentucky, 
and  a  large  number  on  the  New  Orleans.  As  far  as  I 
know,  there  has  never  been  such  an  era  of  ping-pong  as 
was  that  in  your  fleet  from  September,  1902,  to  Feb 
ruary,  1903,  when  all  were  preparing  for  the  spring, 
now  called  the  record,  practice." 

Much  comment  and  some  ill-feeling  have  since  been 
the  result,  indirectly,  of  this  practice  and  one  that  fol 
lowed  it  in  a  few  months.  Of  the  total  number  of 
officers  in  the  navy  only  a  small  percentage  was  on  duty 
in  China,  and  they  were  about  the  only  ones,  outside 
those  on  duty  in  Washington,  who  knew  of  the  good 
work  we  had  done.  When  Lieutenant  Sims  returned 

136 


Commodore  C.   P.   Sah,   Imperial  Chinese  Navy 


Captain  Sah 

to  the  United  States  in  the  fall  of  1902  he  was  as 
signed  to  duty  in  the  Navy  Department  as  inspector  of 
target  practice.  The  newspapers  were  much  interested 
in  his  fight  with  the  Ordnance  Department  and  gave  it 
much  notice,  commending  him  for  his  good  work.  He 
was  given  credit  for  everything  done  in  the  way  of 
target  firing,  though  up  to  that  time  he  had  had  nothing 
in  the  world  to  do  with  it  outside  of  the  particular  ship 
on  which  he  had  been  serving.  The  accuracy  and  rapid 
ity  of  fire,  the  hitting  power,  of  our  guns  had  been 
established  before  he  became  inspector  of  target  practice, 
as  the  records  of  the  Navy  Department  will  show,  and 
he  had  no  hand  in  it.  The  work  was  done  by  those  I 
have  mentioned  and  others  to  be  mentioned  later,  and 
to  them  belongs  the  credit  which  has  ignorantly  been 
given  to  Mr.  Sims.  That  he  has  done  efficient  work 
for  the  service  is  true,  but  he  is  not  the  only  one;  all 
of  them  should  have  the  praise  they  deserve,  and  I  am 
confident  that  Mr.  Sims  would  be  the  last  man  in  the 
navy  to  accept  the  credit  for  things  done  by  his  brother 
officers.  He  is  not  built  that  way. 

During  our  stay  in  Chefoo  I  came  to  know  Captain 
Sah,  of  the  Chinese  navy,  very  well,  and  found  him  an 
officer  of  great  tact  and  ability.  He  is  now  in  com 
mand  of  the  Chinese  navy.  The  cruiser  he  commanded, 
the  Hai  Chi,  was  the  cleanest  thing  in  the  shape  of  a 
warship  that  I  ever  saw.  From  keel  to  truck  she  was 
in  the  pink  of  condition.  Her  decks  were  as  white  as 
snow,  her  guns  in  perfect  order,  and  her  crew  in  neat 
uniform  and  excellent  discipline.  When  the  Oregon 
ran  on  to  the  rocks  between  Chefoo  and  the  Taku  bar, 
during  the  Boxer  troubles,  the  Hai  Chi  went  at  once 

137 


An  Admiral's  Log 

to  her  assistance,  secured  alongside  of  her,  and  did  all 
in  her  power  to  aid  her  in  getting  afloat.  The  Russians 
had  their  eyes  on  the  Chinese  navy,  and  hoped,  no 
doubt,  to  secure  several  of  their  ships  by  capture  before 
the  war  was  over.  While  the  Hai  Chi  was  employed  in 
aiding  the  Oregon,  a  Russian  cruiser  hove  in  sight  and 
remained  at  a  distance  cruising  about.  Captain  Sah, 
convinced  that  she  meant  to  capture  him,  reported  the 
matter  to  the  captain  of  the  Oregon  and  asked  his  ad 
vice,  which  was  promptly  given  in  the  following  short 
and  simple  words :  "  Hoist  the  American  flag  at  your 
foremast-head,  and  let  us  see  who  will  attack  you !  " 
This  was  done,  and  the  Russian  ship  went  on  her 
way. 

The  ordnance  officer  of  the  Hai  Chi  was  very  anx 
ious  to  witness  the  firing  of  the  thirteen-inch  guns  of  the 
Kentucky,  and,  at  the  request  of  Captain  Sah,  I  took 
him  out  with  me  one  day  during  our  practice.  He 
seemed  thoroughly  impressed  with  the  accuracy  of  our 
shooting,  which  was  fairly  good  only,  because  of  the 
condition  of  our  defective  gun  sights.  When  the  order 
was  given  to  fire  the  last  shot  from  the  forward  thir 
teen-inch  turret,  there  was,  for  some  reason,  a  hang- 
fire.  The  gun  was  kept  trained  on  the  target,  and  at 
the  end  of  two  minutes  went  off.  The  big  shell  struck 
fair  in  the  centre  of  the  bull's-eye  and  exploded  with 
tremendous  force,  bringing  down  tons  of  stone.  When 
the  smoke  of  the  explosion  cleared  away,  all  trace  of 
the  target  had  disappeared,  and  the  face  of  the  rock 
on  which  it  had  been  painted  showed  only  a  good-sized 
cavern. 

"  That   was   a  wonderful   shot !  "   commented   the 

138 


A  Wonderful  Shot 

Chinese  officer.     "  It  would  have  completely  destroyed 
a  ship!" 

I  let  him  form  his  own  conclusions — my  mind  was 
fully  occupied  with  poor  sights  and  missfires  and  how 
to  get  rid  of  them. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

SUMMER   HEADQUARTERS   IN    CHINA 

ONE  reason  for  my  visit  to  Chefoo  was  to  look  over 
the  place  and  see  if  I  could  use  it  for  a  summer  head 
quarters  for  the  fleet.  It  was  necessary  to  find  some 
suitable  place  where  the  fleet  could  assemble  for  drills 
during  the  summer  months  and  give  liberty  to  the 
crews.  Especially  was  this  necessary  for  the  vessels 
of  the  Philippine  division,  whose  crews  were  much  re 
duced  in  physique  from  long  service  in  the  tropics. 
Cholera  and  the  plague  prevailed  in  Manila  to  such  an 
extent  that  liberty  for  the  men  at  that  port  was  rather 
a  doubtful  proposition,  and  above  all  they  needed  the 
bracing  effect  of  this  northern  air. 

Chefoo  is  the  summer  resort  for  north  China;  the 
city  is  filthy  and  Asiatic  cholera  can  always  be  found 
there  if  you  look  for  it  in  the  right  locality,  but  all 
Chinese  cities  are  filthy,  and  all  of  them  have  cholera 
or  something  else  equally  bad,  and  if  our  men  were 
to  have  any  shore  leave  in  China  we  had  to  disregard 
some  of  the  bad  features  and  see  if  we  could  find  some 
good  ones.  American  fruit  trees  and  vines  had  been 
cultivated  in  the  vicinity  of  Chefoo,  and  furnished  in 
season  a  good  supply  of  fruit,  which  was  a  point  greatly 
in  its  favour.  Vegetables  were  grown  in  large  quan 
tities  and  these  could  be  used  when  properly  sterilised 

140 


The  Kentucky  at  Chefoo 

and  cooked,  and  the  fish  market  was  uncommonly  good. 
There  were  so  many  points  in  favour  of  the  place  that 
I  determined  to  use  it  as  our  summer  rendezvous.  Its 
proximity  to  Port  Arthur,  only  about  sixty  miles  away, 
was  one  objection  to  such  use  of  it,  as  the  Russians 
might,  and  afterwards  did,  think  we  were  giving  en 
couragement  to  the  Japanese  by  doing  so.  Our  consul, 
Mr.  Fowler,  one  of  the  best  American  representatives  I 
have  ever  seen  abroad,  secured  the  use  of  a  proper  field 
for  athletics  and  the  exclusive  use  of  two  islands  for 
target  practice.  Before  leaving  Chefoo,  I  let  it  be  un 
derstood  that  I  would  return  the  following  year,  so 
that  the  farmers  and  gardeners  might  be  ready  to  supply 
our  wants. 

There  was  one  other  consideration  which  influenced 
me  in  my  decision  to  use  this  place  for  our  summer 
work.  Chefoo  was  one  of  the  three  Chinese  ports  of 
greatest  importance  to  American  merchants.  Here  they 
were  fully  protected  by  treaty  rights,  and  their  trade 
was  flourishing  and  lucrative  and  would  be  more  so  be 
cause  of  the  presence  of  so  many  of  our  ships  and  men. 

Great  interest  was  shown  by  the  officers  of  the 
French  fleet  at  Chefoo  over  the  Kentucky,  she  being  our 
latest  battleship  at  the  time,  having  as  she  did  some 
peculiar  features  of  construction  not  known  in  any  other 
service.  The  most  important  of  these  were  the  double 
turrets,  in  which  two  thirteen-inch  guns  were  installed 
in  the  lower  turret,  and  two  eight-inch  in  the  turret 
above,  which  was  immovably  fixed  to  the  one  beneath 
it.  This  plan  of  mounting  guns,  devised  by  the  late 
Admiral  Sampson,  had  caused  heated  discussion  by  pro 
fessional  men  all  over  the  world.  It  had  practically 

141 


An  Admiral's  Log 

divided  professional  opinion  into  two  distinct  schools, 
one,  the  larger,  being  strongly  opposed  to  it,  and  the 
other,  though  smaller,  equally  strong  in  its  favour.  In 
later  years  many  of  those  opposed  have  changed  their 
views,  but,  unless  all  the  guns  in  both  upper  and  lower 
turrets  are  the  same  size,  the  system  must  be  abandoned, 
for  the  all  one  calibre  battery  ship  is  the  one  we  must 
have. 

Admiral  Marechal,  commander-in-chief  of  the 
French  fleet,  wrote  me  a  note  stating  the  desire  of  his 
officers  to  visit  my  flagship,  and  asking  if  permission 
might  possibly  be  given.  I  sent,  in  reply,  an  invitation 
to  all  the  officers  of  the  French  fleet  to  visit  the  Ken 
tucky  on  a  certain  day,  and  when  they  came  we  showed 
them  everything  about  the  ship.  There  was  nothing  we 
cared  to  conceal,  for  the  Scientific  American  and  other 
journals  had  published  full  details  of  her  with  scale 
drawings.  In  return  for  this  courtesy,  we  were  invited, 
later,  to  inspect  a  new  French  cruiser  just  out  from 
home,  and  were  shown  over  her  by  her  officers.  Among 
other  things  we  were  allowed  to  see  the  gun  sights, 
which  were  far  better  than  anything  we  then  had.  I 
afterwards  knew  this  gallant  officer  of  the  old  school, 
Admiral  Marechal,  valued  his  friendship,  and  admired 
him  for  his  courtesy  and  dignity.  He  was  a  master  of 
his  profession  and  an  honour  to  his  calling. 

On  July  4th,  while  at  anchor  at  Chefoo,  I  was  noti 
fied  by  our  consul  that  Asiatic  cholera  had  broken  out 
among  the  scholars  of  the  China  Inland  Mission  School, 
and  asked  that  I  should  send  medical  aid  at  once.  This 
institution,  the  best  in  north  China,  was  for  boys  alone, 
about  sixty  of  whom  were  in  attendance.  It  was 

142 


Medical  Examinations 

so  far  removed  from  the  Chinese  city  that  infection 
therefrom  seemed  almost  impossible.  Able  surgeons, 
with  hospital  attendants,  were  hurried  off  at  once,  and 
ice  made  on  board  ship  supplied  as  required.  The  senior 
surgeon  soon  returned  with  a  report  that  it  was  not 
cholera  but  ptomaine  poisoning  that  was  the  trouble, 
and  that  it  had  resulted  from  the  eating  of  chicken  pie. 
I  ordered  a  careful  microscopic  examination,  which  dis 
closed  the  fact  that  there  was  not  a  microscope  in  the 
fleet,  and  we  had  to  borrow  one  from  a  native  doctor 
on  shore  before  the  investigation  could  be  made.  It 
was  not  a  long  while  before  every  ship  on  the  station 
had  a  microscopic  outfit,  and  the  Navy  Department  had 
a  fine  bill  to  settle ! 

When  Past  Assistant  Surgeon  Guest,  U,  S.  N.,  a 
microscopist  of  great  ability,  assisted  by  Dr.  Wu,  a  na 
tive,  had  made  a  thorough  investigation,  the  disease  was 
again  diagnosed  as  ptomaine  poisoning,  but  this  was 
not  satisfactory  to  the  school  authorities,  because  of  the 
reflection  upon  their  method  of  preparing  and  inspect 
ing  the  food  for  the  boys,  nineteen  of  whom  had  been 
taken  ill,  thirteen  of  whom  had  died.  The  reputation 
of  the  school  was  high,  and  the  scholars,  among  whom 
were  several  Americans,  were,  as  a  rule,  the  sons  of 
merchants  and  wealthy  men.  To  have  it  known  that 
these  lads  had  died  from  improper  food  would  be  a 
death  blow  to  the  institution,  and  to  "  save  their  faces," 
as  the  Chinese  express  it,  the  stomach  of  one  of  the 
dead  was  sent  to  Shanghai  for  examination.  Cholera 
was  raging  in  Shanghai  and  the  jar  containing  the 
stomach,  after  being  opened  and  remaining  so  for  sev 
eral  days,  was  turned  over  to  some  one,  whose  name  I 

143 


An  Admiral's  Log 

never  learned,  and  the  microscopic  examination  made. 
Cholera  germs  were  found,  and  the  case  diagnosed  as 
Asiatic  cholera  and  so  reported  to  the  British  consul  at 
Chefoo,  who  published  it  broadcast,  but  never  men 
tioned  the  report  made  by  the  doctors  in  attendance. 
From  the  treatment  the  stomach  had  received,  it  is  fair 
to  assume  that  the  microscope  would  have  shown  not 
only  cholera  germs  but  any  other  kind  of  germs  as  well ! 
However,  the  reputation  of  the  school  was  saved,  the 
bodies  of  the  poor  boys  buried,  and  that  was  the  end  of 
it.  Because  of  the  presence  of  the  American  lads,  I 
made  a  full  report  of  the  facts  after  doing  all  in  my 
power  to  assist  those  who  had  been  stricken. 

After  the  inspection  and  target  practice  of  the  Ken 
tucky  and  New  Orleans,  which  had  in  some  respects 
proved  startling,  and  before  leaving  Chefoo,  I  issued 
instructions  concerning  daily  target  practice  for  vessels 
of  the  squadron.  They  were  prepared  by  Lieutenants 
Chapin,  Brittain,  and  McLean,  and  contain  my  views  at 
that  time  on  this  important  subject.  I  give  them  in  full 
because  much  comment  and  discussion  have  been  in 
dulged  in,  both  in  the  navy  and  elsewhere,  as  to  when 
and  how  our  present  system  of  target  practice  origi 
nated  and  who  is  responsible  and  should  have  the  credit 
for  it.  The  "  dotters  "  referred  to  were  never  fur 
nished,  as  it  was  found  that  the  subcalibre  attachment, 
ping-pong,  answered  every  purpose.  The  loading 
machine,  so  far  as  I  know,  was  the  first  ever  used  in 
any  service,  and  is  still  in  use,  much  improved  in  design, 
on  all  our  ships. 


144 


Instructions  for  Target  Practice 

CHEFOO,  CHINA, 
July  18,  1902. 

GENERAL  INSTRUCTIONS 

1.  The  senior  squadron  commander  notes  that  com 
parisons  made  between  the  accuracy  and  rapidity  of  fire 
of  our  ships  and  certain  foreign  ships  on  this  station 
are  apparently  much  to  our  discredit,  and  there  appears 
to  be  a  growing  opinion  amongst  the  officers  of  the 
squadron  which  must  in  time  extend  to  the  crews,  that 
our  shooting  is  not  only  inferior,  but  that  our  guns 
and  their  appliances  are  also  inferior.     If  this  opinion 
be  allowed  to  grow,  fostered  by  a  lack  of  constant  train 
ing  and  practice  at  the  guns,  it  will  operate  to  our  own 
very   serious   detriment.      The   senior   squadron   com 
mander  has  personally  witnessed  the  extended  target 
practice  of  each  of  two  ships  of  the  squadron,  and  while 
the  results  are  gratifying  as  dispelling  the  views  of  the 
extreme  pessimists,  they  are  capable  of  much  improve 
ment  both  in  rapidity  and  accuracy.    It  has  shown  that 
poor  shooting  and  any  lack  of  confidence  in  the  guns 
and  appliances  must  be  due  to  want  of  training  and 
practice. 

i a.  It  shall  be  the  highest  duty  of  all  command 
ing  and  other  line  officers  to  endeavour  through  their 
personal  supervision  and  interest  to  increase  the  fir 
ing  efficiency  to  the  highest  standard  through  the  reg 
ular  and  constant  training  and  practice  herein  required. 
Where  officers  show  interest  in  any  work,  the  at 
tention  and  interest  of  the  men  are  certain  to  follow  at 
once. 

2.  For  the  daily  instruction  and  practice  of  all  gun 
pointers  of  the  northern  squadron,  except  those  of  the 
Monocacy,  each  ship  of  the  squadron,  except  the  New 
Orleans,  Monterey,  and  Monocacy,  will  be  supplied  with 
one  dotter  (the  New  Orleans  has  a  dotter;  the  Mon 
terey  has  no  guns  of  a  calibre  with  which  it  can  be  used 
properly) ;  and  each  ship  will  supply  herself  with,  and 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

install,  two  subcalibre  target  attachments  on  guns  as 
follows : 

KENTUCKY.  One  for  one  15"  gun  and  one  8"  gun. 

One  for  one  5"  gun. 

One  for  one  6  pdr. 
NEW  ORLEANS.    One  for  one  6"  gun. 

One  for  one  6  pdr. 
WILMINGTON.       One  for  one  4"  gun. 

One  for  one  6  pdr. 
HELENA.  One  for  one  4"  gun. 

One  for  one  6  pdr. 
VICKSBURG.  One  for  one  4"  gun. 

One  for  one  6  pdr. 

MONTEREY.  One  for  one  12"  gun  or  one  10"  gun. 

MONADNOCK.         One  for  one  10"  gun. 

One  for  one  4"  gun. 

One  for  one  6  pdr. 

3.  The  dqtters  will  be  furnished  by  the  flagship,  the 
Kentucky,  and  sent  to  ships  as  soon  as  possible.    When 
received  they  shall  at  once  be  installed  in  connection 
with  one  of  the  broadside  types  of  rapid,  or  quick-fire 
guns,  of  four,  five,  or  six  inch  calibre.     Forecastle  or 
poop  guns  of  these  calibres  are  the  most  convenient. 
Where  ships  have  no  guns  of  these  calibres  mounted  in  a 
manner  that  will  allow  convenient  and  proper  use  of  the 
dotter  at  sea  or  in  port,  then  a  gun  and  its  mount  shall 
be  moved  to  some  position  where  it  can  be  so  used. 

A  supply  of  dotter  paper  will  be  sent  from  the  Ken 
tucky  with  each  dotter,  and  furnished  thereafter  upon 
application  as  required.  Daily  practice  shall  commence 
with  the  dotter  as  soon  as  it  is  installed. 

4.  Upon  receipt  of  this  order  each  ship  will  begin 
the   preparation   of   subcalibre    target    attachments    as 
directed  above,  and  in  not  less  than  one  month  from 
date  of  receipt  of  this  order,  shall  complete  and  install 
them. 

146 


Instructions  for  Target  Practice 

Outline  sketches  of  proposed  target  attachments  for 
broadside  and  turret  guns  are  forwarded  herewith,  ac 
companied  by  a  description  of  their  rig  and  operation. 
Ships  shall  construct  similar  target  attachments,  the 
details  and  rigging  to  correspond  to  the  various  condi 
tions  existing  on  the  different  ships.  Upon  completion 
of  the  target  arrangements,  daily  practice  shall  be  com 
menced  with  them. 

5.  The  dotter  is  intended  to  train  the  eye  and  hand 
to  work  together  to  keep  the  sight  constantly  on  the 
target  in  elevation  while  the  ship  is  rolling,  and  unless 
it  is  used  to  accomplish  this  as  far  as  possible,  its  chief 
value  is  lost.    It  should  be  possible  to  keep  constantly  on 
with  rapid  or  quick-fire  guns.     Even  when  the  mount 
is  of  such  a  type  that  it  is  impracticable  to  follow  the 
target  through  the  entire  roll,  but  only  for  that  period 
of  time  which  elapses  between  the  decision  to  fire  and 
the  discharge  of  the  gun  (firing  interval),  the  continu 
ous  aim  system  is  preserved.     The  trajectory  is  not 
affected  by  the  roll  of  the  ship,  and  greatly  increased 
accuracy  results,  the  chiefest  advantage  of  the  continu 
ous  aim  system  of  shooting.    When  the  sights  are  kept 
"  on  "  all  the  time,  the  result  is  not  only  increased  ac 
curacy,  but  greatly  increased  rapidity  of  fire,  its  second 
advantage.    A  great  amount  of  practice  with  the  dotter 
is  necessary  to  acquire  proficiency  in  this  system  of 
shooting,  and  then  practice  is  required  to  maintain  and 
increase  proficiency. 

It  is  preferable,  therefore,  to  begin  training  with 
the  dotter  before  beginning  practice  with  the  subcalibre 
target  attachment,  but  since  it  is  certain  that  the  former 
cannot  be  furnished  until  after  the  latter  shall  have 
been  installed,  practice  with  the  latter  must  be  begun 
first. 

6.  With  the  subcalibre  attachment,  the  actual  hand 
ling  of  the  gun  in  the  exercise  of  the  functions  of  train 
ing,  elevating,  and  firing  are  carried  on.     It  furnishes 
the   best   known   available   means    for   daily   shooting 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

practice  on  board  ship  with  the  guns,  at  sea  and  in 
port. 

7.  When  the  dotter  shall  have  been  installed,  it  is 
directed  that  every  gun  pointer  on  each  ship  shall  have 
practice  each  day  with  it,  except  Saturdays,  Sundays, 
national  holidays,  target-practice  days  held  in  pursuance 
of  regulations  or  by  general  orders,  or  when  the  gun 
pointer  is  on  the  sick  list.     A  division  officer  shall  be 
present   at  and   superintend  the  practice  of  the  men. 
When  ships  have  an  ordnance  officer,  he  shall  be  pres 
ent  frequently  at  the  practice  to  verify  adjustments  and 
see  that  the  practice  is  carried  on  in  a  uniform  manner. 
When  there  is  no  ordnance  officer,  this  duty  shall  be 
performed  by  the  navigator. 

The  first  practice  shall  be  made  with  the  sheet  mov 
ing  very  slowly  up  and  down  through  a  very  small 
angle,  and,  as  the  men  improve  in  practice,  the  move 
ment  shall  be  gradually  increased  to  simulate,  if  pos 
sible,  the  roll  and  period  of  the  ship.  At  the  end  of  each 
week  the  last  dotter  sheet  filled  by  each  gun  pointer 
shall  be  forwarded  by  mail  to  the  senior  squadron  com 
mander,  together  with  the  target  sheet  referred  to  later. 

When  ships  are  at  sea,  and  the  weather  will  permit, 
gun  pointers  shall  be  practised  with  their  own  guns  at 
keeping  them  pointed  at  the  horizon,  following  it 
throughout  the  roll  if  possible. 

8.  On  the  same  day  specified  in  paragraph  7,  all 
the  gun  pointers  of  each  ship  shall  also  have  practice 
with  the  subcalibre  target  attachments  on  guns  of  the 
types  of  which  they  are  pointers.     Each  turret  gun 
pointer  shall  fire  for  twenty  minutes  each  day  at  four 
targets,  five  at  each  target.    The  pointers  of  other  guns 
shall  each  fire  four  minutes  a  day  at  four  targets,  one 
minute  at  each.     The  first  practice  shall  be  at  targets 
moving  very  slowly  in  the  vertical  plane,  the  motion  in 
this  plane  to  be  gradually  increased  as  the  men  improve, 
following,  or  striving  to  follow,  the  target,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  practice  with  the  dotter.    As  improvement 

148 


Instructions  for  Target  Practice 

becomes  marked,  the  training  element  will  be  intro 
duced,  and  the  practice  thereafter  continued,  aiming  the 
gun  as  if  actually  in  use. 

At  the  end  of  each  week  the  last  target  made  by 
each  gun  pointer  shall  be  forwarded  to  the  senior  squad 
ron  commander.  Paper  target  sheets  will  be  made  on 
board  ship  or  printed  on  shore,  and  shall  conform  to 
samples  forwarded  herewith. 

Ships  will  make  requisition  for  subcalibre  (Gallery 
rifle)  ammunition  in  ample  time  to  start  the  practice, 
and  to  continue  it  without  interruption. 

9.  As  the  time  of  loading  plays  such  an  important 
part  in  the  rapidity  of  fire,  it  is  directed  that  guns'  crews 
be  practised  with  especial  care  to  insure  the  supply  and 
loading  of  an  amount  of  ammunition  sufficient  to  meet 
the  greatest  rapidity  of  fire  possible  with  their  guns. 
This  applies  to  all  types  of  guns.    For  broadside  rapid 
or  quick-fire  guns,  the  physical  endurance  of  the  men 
will  play  an  important  part,  as  well  as  their  expertness 
in  opening  ammunition  boxes  and  presenting  the  naked 
ammunition  at  the  breech  of  the  gun. 

The  handling  of  boxed  dummy  cartridges,  loaded 
to  weight,  would  afford  good  physical  training,  the 
dummies  to  be  unboxed  and  presented  for  loading  as  in 
actual  service. 

Each  ship  with  rapid  or  quick-fire  guns  of  4"  calibre 
and  upward  will  construct  a  loading  device  similar,  or 
somewhat  similar,  to  that  described  in  the  accompany 
ing  papers,  set  it  up,  and  practice  guns'  crews  of  such 
guns  for  a  reasonable  time  on  the  days  specified  in 
paragraph  7,  at  handling  and  loading  as  rapidly  as  pos 
sible. 

10.  It  must  be  understood  that  nothing  short  of 
sickness  shall  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  the  daily 
practice  of  guns'  crews  as  specified.     It  shall  be  carried 
out  whether  in  port  or  at  sea,  unless  the  sea  conditions 
make  it  quite  impossible. 

Commanding  officers  shall  encourage  good  results 
11  149 


An  Admiral's  Log 

obtained  by  rewarding  gun  pointers  in  every  reasonable 
way.  They  shall  be  excused  from  all  duties  which  will 
interfere  with  the  daily  practice  herein  required,  at  least 
during  the  time  necessary  for  such  practice  and,  as  far 
as  possible,  from  answering  calls. 

11.  Besides  the  required  practice  of  the  gun  point 
ers,  the  other  members  of  the  seaman  branch  shall  be 
trained  with  the  dotter  and  subcalibre  target  attach 
ments.     Men  who  develop  greater  aptitude  and  skill  at 
the  guns  than  the  acting  pointers  should  take  the  places 
of  the  least  skilful  of  the  latter.    Gun  pointers  should  be 
selected  solely  for  their  merit  in  marksmanship,  conduct 
and  other  qualities  not  to  be  considered  in  this  selection ; 
nor  should  rating  be  allowed  to  interfere  except  when 
the  selection  is  manifestly  impracticable. 

Gun  pointers  should  not  be  shifted  from  one  duty  to 
another  or  one  gun  to  another  when  it  can  be  reasonably 
avoided. 

12.  In  order  that  the  gun  pointer  may  devote  his 
entire  attention  to  keeping  the  gun  sights  on  the  target 
all  the  time,  he  shall  not  be  required  to  act  as  gun  cap 
tain  and  direct  the  service  of  the  gun.     In  turrets,  the 
latter  shall  be  stationed  in  the  turret  by  the  turret  offi 
cer  when  his  services  will  be  of  most  value,  and  in  the 
case  of  rapid  or  quick-fire  guns,  the  plugman  shall  act 
as  gun  captain,  directing  the  service.    The  man  chosen 
for  second  pointer  of  guns  shall  be  the  trainer,  when  the 
type  of  mounts  permits  of  or  requires  the  service  of 
such  a  man,  and  he  shall  train  as  directed  by  the  first 
pointer. 

13.  The  governing  principle  in  comparing  results 
attained  at  target  practice  shall  be  for  all  guns  of  the 
same  calibre,  the  greatest  number  of  hits  per  gun  per 
minute.    This,  of  course,  demands  accuracy  but  rapidity 
of  fire  as  well. 

14.  Regarding  the  rate  and  accuracy  of  fire  which 
should  be  attained  in  actual  practice,  average  results 
already  obtained  with  guns  of  corresponding  calibre 

150 


Instructions  for  Target  Practice 


fired  at  a  target  20'  long  by  15'  high  indicate  that  we 
should  arrive  at  or  exceed  the  following  degrees  ot 
efficiency  with  the  guns  of  this  squadron  fired  at  a 
similar  target,  viz. : 


GUN 

Speed  of  ship 

Interval 
between  shots 

Per  cent  of 
hits 

Hits  per  gun 
per  minute 

10,  12,  or  13*  .  . 
8* 

8  knots 

8    * 

1  minute 
45  seconds 

50 
50 

0.50 
0.75 

6»RorQ  +  G  . 

r*    «     «     «    <«   «( 

AH     «       «      «     ««    (« 

6pdr. 

12    ' 
12    ' 
12    ' 
12    ' 

8*      " 
8*       " 
7 
6 

75 

80 
80 
80 

5.25 
6.00 
6.85 
8.00 

15.  To  secure  the  best  results  from  the  training  and 
practice  required  herein,  and  to  compare  the  records 
made  by  the  gun  pointers  and  ships  of  the  squadron,  it 
is  directed  that  after  the  receipt  of  this  order  no  sea 
practice  will  be  held  by  any  ship  of  the  squadron  for 
three  months,  and  then  each  ship  will  hold  a  record 
practice,  firing  at  a  target  20'  long  by  15'  high,  actual 
hits  only  to  be  counted.  The  target  shall  be  placed  at 
the  apex  of  a  right  isosceles  triangle,  the  legs  of  which 
shall  be  two  thousand  yards  long  as  nearly  as  possible, 
the  ship  to  steam  along  the  hypothenuse  of  the  triangle 
for  the  present  at  a  speed  of  eight  knots.  It  is  the  in 
tention  to  increase  the  speed  to  twelve  knots  later  when 
the  pointers  become  proficient. 

Each  first  and  second  gun  pointer  of  a  gun  of  8" 
calibre  and  up  will  be  allowed  to  fire  separately  at  the 
target  for  six  minutes  as  rapidly  as  possible;  each  first 
and  second  pointer  of  a  main  battery  gun  of  4"  calibre 
and  upwards,  and  each  pointer  of  a  1.3  or  6-pdr  R.  I. 
gun,  shall  be  allowed  to  fire  separately  for  one  minute 
at  the  target  as  rapidly  as  possible.  The  target  shall 
be  examined  after  the  string  of  shots  made  by  each  gun 
pointer,  and  the  actual  hits  counted.  For  better  means 
of  comparison,  this  practice  shall  take  place  only  under 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  best  sea  conditions,  viz. :  good,  clear  weather  and 
smooth  sea. 

This  order  was  followed  immediately  by  others — in 
fact,  they  were  sent  at  the  same  time,  describing  fully 
the  dotter,  the  subcalibre  or  ping-pong  rifle — usually  a 
Flobert  rifle,  the  target  and  its  attachments,  the  loading 
machine,  and  how  to  construct  and  use  them  all.  Ref 
erence  to  the  date  will  show  that  Lieutenant  Sims  was 
at  the  time  a  watch  officer  on  the  New  York,  flagship  of 
the  commander-in-chief,  and  could  not  have  had  any 
hand  in  the  work.  He  did  not,  in  fact,  know  that  such 
orders  had  been  issued,  nor  did  the  Navy  Department 
or  any  body  in  it  have  such  knowledge  until  a  copy 
of  the  order  was  received.  The  officers  named  by  me 
are  the  ones  responsible  for  it,  and  to  them  should  be 
given  the  credit. 

The  same  rules  have  been  observed,  and  the  same 
system  has  been  followed  ever  since  in  our  target  prac 
tice,  except  that  the  target  has  been  reduced  in  size, 
and  the  speed  of  the  ship  increased  as  the  gun  pointers 
have  become  more  expert  and  proficient. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

AN    INSPECTION    TOUR 

AFTER  the  firing  at  Chefoo  I  found  the  work  piling 
up  on  my  hands  so  rapidly  that  the  days  were  not  long 
enough  to  do  it  satisfactorily.  It  was  absolutely  neces 
sary  that  I  should  visit  all  parts  of  the  station  and  see 
conditions  for  myself.  In  the  meantime,  all  the  ships 
must  be  inspected,  and  this  of  itself  was  quite  a  job. 
We  had  maintained  ships  at  two  ports  permanently,  a 
gunboat  at  Newchwang  and  one  at  Taku.  During  the 
summer  the  ships  rode  at  their  own  anchor,  and  in  win 
ter  were  placed  in  what  were  called  mud  docks.  These 
docks  were  made  by  digging  a  hole  in  the  bank  of  the 
river  large  enough  to  hold  them,  and  when  the  ship 
had  been  hauled  into  this  so-called  dock,  she  was  se 
curely  moored  with  anchors  and  chains,  and  when  ice 
formed,  she  remained  frozen  in  during  the  winter. 
Booms  of  logs  were  placed  across  the  entrance  of  the 
docks  to  prevent  floating  ice  from  crowding  in  and 
doing  damage.  Under  such  conditions  the  guns,  except 
the  small  ones  in  the  tops,  were  of  no  value  for  defence 
as  they  were  below  the  banks  of  the  dock,  and  could  not, 
in  case  of  need,  be  fired.  The  ships  were  simply  places 
of  refuge  in  case  of  trouble,  where  our  missionaries  and 
other  citizens  could  be  protected  if  it  became  necessary 
to  do  so. 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

Of  all  the  Chinese  ports,  Newchwang  was  the  most 
important  to  our  mercantile  interests,  which  seemed  to 
me  to  be  protected  in  every  possible  way  by  treaty 
rights.  Very  large  quantities  of  American  cotton  piece 
goods  were  sent  here  and  found  a  ready  market  in 
Manchuria,  at  least  such  had  been  the  case  in  former 
years  until  the  Russians,  ignoring  treaty  rights,  vir 
tually  took  possession  of  the  place  with  their  military 
forces.  One  of  our  ships  was  there,  however,  to  keep 
the  government  at  home  advised  of  what  was  being 
done  and  to  give  such  protection  as  she  could  to  our 
people.  The  effect  of  her  presence  was  really  good. 
The  simple  fact  that  the  American  flag  was  flying  there 
prevented  many  outrages  that  would,  no  doubt,  other 
wise  have  been  perpetrated. 

The  situation  at  Taku  was  entirely  different.  There 
were  really  no  American  interests  at  that  point,  and  a 
ship  had  been  kept  there  for  two  reasons:  as  a  refuge 
for  the  missionaries  who  were  spread  over  this  part  of 
China,  not  only  our  own  but  those  of  other  countries; 
and  as  a  base  from  which  to  send  assistance  to  our  min 
ister  in  Pekin,  if  that  should  seem  necessary.  It  was 
also  thought  that  the  minister  would  have  sufficient  no 
tice  of  coming  trouble  to  withdraw  with  his  family  and 
the  members  of  the  legation,  and  seek  refuge  on  the 
ship  at  Taku.  The  Boxer  trouble  showed  how  false 
this  assumption  was.  Taku  being  only  a  short  distance 
from  Chefoo,  I  determined  to  run  over  there,  inspect 
the  ship,  examine  a  number  of  officers  who  were  en 
titled  to  promotion,  and  acquaint  myself  generally  with 
conditions  on  that  part  of  the  station. 

Accordingly,  on  July  23d  I  got  under  way  with  the 
154 


Inspecting  the  Monocacy 

Kentucky  and  Helena,  and  the  next  morning  anchored 
off  the  Taku  bar.  The  U.  S.  S.  Monocacy,  an  iron  side- 
wheel  gunboat,  built  during  the  Civil  War,  had  served  in 
China  for  thirty  or  thirty-five  years  and  was  then 
anchored  at  Taku.  She  had  been  stationed  at  various 
ports,  Shanghai,  Canton,  Amoy,  etc.,  and  for  years  in 
her  present  berth.  Though  a  nautical  curiosity,  from 
the  first  she  had  done  excellent  service  because  of  her 
light  draught  and  the  very  heavy  battery  she  carried. 
The  guns,  smooth-bore,  eight-inch,  were  just  the  weap 
ons  to  use,  at  short  range,  on  such  a  mob  as  one  might 
have  to  contend  with  in  China.  She  was  the  only  ship 
of  our  fleet  that  could  cross  the  bar  and  steam  up  to  the 
city,  or  town,  of  Taku,  and  she  had  the  peculiar  dis 
tinction  of  being  one  of  the  few  American  ships  that 
had  been  fired  on  by  an  enemy  without  returning  the 
fire.  When  the  allied  fleets  attacked  the  forts  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Peiho,  she  was  fired  on  at  her  anchorage 
by  a  Chinese  battery,  and  at  least  one  shell  passed 
through  her  rotten  sides.  The  commanding  officer  did 
not  return  the  fire,  and  we  must  assume  that  he  was 
right  because  the  commander-in-chief,  and  afterwards 
the  government  in  Washington,  approved  his  conduct. 
Such  approval  always  makes  the  action  of  a  naval  offi 
cer  right,  but  in  this  case  it  did  not  add  to  our  prestige 
either  among  foreigners  or  natives. 

Instructions  had  been  sent  to  the  captain  of  the 
Monocacy  to  come  outside  for  his  inspection,  and  imme 
diately  on  my  arrival  he  appeared.  I  had  some  doubts 
about  ordering  the  ship  to  come  out  into  deep  water  for 
fear  she  might  sink,  and  when  I  saw  her  condition  I 
wondered  somewhat  that  she  had  not  done  so!  She 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

was  a  comfortable  old  home,  or  boarding-house,  for 
officers  and  men,  but  no  longer  of  any  military  value. 
Her  iron  plates  had  rusted  away  slowly  for  years  until 
it  seemed  that  her  frames  were  all  that  held  her  in  shape. 
At  one  spot  under  her  boilers  I  dug  through  the  paint 
and  found  salt  water  coming  in!  The  plate  was  gone 
in  places  so  that  I  could  stick  a  knife  through  it.  She 
was  a  fine  exemplification  of  the  old  navy  adage, 
"  Paint  and  putty  cover  a  multitude  of  sins." 

When  the  inspection  had  been  completed,  I  hurried 
her  back  into  the  river,  and  was  much  relieved  when  I 
saw  her  at  her  old  anchorage.  Then  I  wrote  home 
recommending  that  the  officers  and  men  be  transferred 
to  other  ships,  where  they  were  badly  needed,  and  the 
vessel  sold.  This  was  approved,  and  I  afterwards  sold 
her  for  eight  thousand  dollars,  gold,  which  was  about 
seven  thousand  five  hundred  more  than  she  was  worth ! 
She  was  not  replaced  by  any  other  ship,  as  the  whole 
country  from  Taku  to  Pekin  was  dotted  with  the 
camps  of  foreign  troops,  and  danger  to  our  interests 
was  not  to  be  feared. 

It  had  been  my  intention  to  visit  Pekin  at  this  time, 
but  I  found  it  impracticable  to  do  so  because  of  press 
ing  work  in  other  directions. 

With  the  Kentucky  and  New  Orleans  I  ran  back 
to  Chefoo,  to  complete  the  inspection  of  the  gunboats 
that  had  been  ordered  to  assemble  there.  On  board  of 
them  all  I  found  officers  and  men  anxious  to  get  to  work 
with  the  guns,  but  the  sights  and  the  mounts  were  so 
bad  that  all  hands  were  discouraged  and  disheartened 
with  their  efforts.  Of  course,  this  condition  could  not 
be  allowed  to  continue,  it  must  be  changed  at  once.  I 

156 


Telescope  Sights 

knew  that  among  those  under  my  command  there  must 
be  some  one  with  the  necessary  ability  to  do  the  work, 
but  the  trouble  was  to  discover  him.  Lieutenant  Ridley 
McLean  went  to  work  on  a  sight  for  one  of  the  guns 
of  his  division.  When  it  was  completed  and  installed, 
with  a  suitable  telescope,  he  made  a  wonderful  record 
of  hits.  This  brought  the  question  of  telescope  sights 
to  the  front.  After  hearing  what  was  to  be  said  in 
favour  of  low-power  telescopes,  advocated  by  many  offi 
cers,  I  decided  in  favour  of  the  high-power  ones,  not 
only  because  of  my  own  belief  in  their  greater  efficiency, 
but  also  because  the  opinion  of  officers  in  whose  judg 
ments  I  had  implicit  confidence  agreed  with  me.  A  tele 
gram  was  sent  to  the  best  makers  in  Paris,  and  in  due 
time  the  instruments  arrived.  There  are  still  a  few 
officers  who  are  opposed  to  the  use  of  the  high-power 
glasses,  but  I  think  they  are  changing  as  they  get  more 
experience.  These  sights,  which  were  used  for  years, 
have  been  much  improved  through  the  efforts  of  Lieu 
tenant  Mustin,  U.  S.  N.,  who  has  developed  a  genius 
for  such  work.  He  promises  to  put  us  ahead  of  all  the 
other  navies  of  the  world  in  this  important  respect,  and 
from  what  I  have  seen  of  his  work  I  feel  sure  that  he 
will  live  up  to  the  promise. 

When  the  turret  guns  of  the  Kentucky  were  first 
fired,  the  sights  behaved  so  badly  that  I  ordered  the 
firing  to  stop,  as  no  good  results  could  follow  practice 
under  such  conditions.  The  sights  had  been  made  as 
secure  as  possible,  but  the  principle  under  which  they 
were  constructed  was  wrong,  and  no  amount  of  patch 
ing  could  do  them  any  good. 

Something  entirely  new  had  to  be  devised,  and, 
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An  Admiral's  Log 

fortunately  for  me  and  the  service,  I  found  the  man 
who  could  do  the  necessary  work.  Assistant  Paymas 
ter  William  A.  Merritt  was  the  man.  Mr.  Merritt  was 
an  educated  mechanical  engineer,  and  had  worked  in 
the  draughting  room  of  the  Newport  News  Shipbuild 
ing  Company  on  the  plans  for  the  Kearsarge  and  Ken 
tucky.  When  the  Spanish- American  War  broke  out  he 
felt  it  his  duty  to  go  to  the  front,  and  he  succeeded  in 
securing  an  appointment  in  the  pay  corps  of  the  navy. 
Seeing  the  trouble  with  the  turret-gun  sights,  he  volun 
teered  to  work  on  something  to  take  their  place,  and, 
after  weeks  of  most  exacting  labour,  produced  the  draw 
ings  of  a  design  for  sights  which,  after  criticism  from 
many  line  officers  of  experience,  were  adopted,  and  the 
device  was  ordered  to  be  fitted  to  all  turret  guns.  This 
was  done,  and  when  the  sights  were  tested  on  board 
the  Kentucky  excellent  results  were  obtained. 

While  at  anchor  in  Chefoo  harbour  I  received  a 
pressing  invitation  from  our  minister  in  Korea  to  visit 
Chemulpo  with  the  squadron  and  have  an  audience  with 
the  Emperor  at  Seoul.  There  were  several  American 
claims  against  the  government  of  Korea  which  had 
been  discussed  for  a  long  time.  They  had  now  arrived 
at  a  point  diplomatically  when  the  presence  of  a  force 
of  warships  might  ensure  their  payment!  This  course 
is  often  followed  in  the  East,  and  even  in  other  parts  of 
the  world,  and  is  one  good  reason  for  keeping  a  naval 
force  in  certain  foreign  waters.  The  diplomatic  repre 
sentative  convinces  the  foreign  government  of  the  jus 
tice  of  the  claim,  and  then  by  a  friendly  display  of 
ships  and  men  makes  it  appear  better  to  pay  and  be 
done  with  it.  In  this  case  it  was  very  necessary  that 

158 


At  Port  Arthur 

I  should  comply  with  the  minister's  request.  I  accepted 
his  invitation  and  named  a  time  for  the  visit,  but  an 
other  was  pressing  before  I  could  fulfil  the  engage 
ment. 

Admiral  Alexieff,  of  the  Russian  navy,  had  sent  me 
word  at  Chefoo  that  he  would  be  glad  to  have  me  visit 
Port  Arthur  and  the  new  city  of  Dalny  with  my  flag 
ship.  It  was  most  important,  for  many  reasons,  that  I 
should  make  this  visit.  We  all  wanted  a  look  at  Port 
Arthur  and  its  fortifications.  The  new  town  of  Dalny 
was  of  great  interest  because  of  its  peculiar  status  and 
the  opportunity  it  was  said  to  offer  for  American  trade. 
On  July  25th  I  anchored  off  the  entrance  to  the  harbour 
of  Port  Arthur  with  the  Kentucky  and  New  Orleans  in 
a  dense  fog.  It  was  too  thick  to  venture  in,  even  had 
it  been  considered  desirable  to  do  so.  I  waited  some 
time  for  the  usual  boarding  visit  of  courtesy,  but  no 
officer  came  to  welcome  me.  I  was  on  the  point  of 
sending  one  of  my  staff  in  to  ask  an  explanation  of 
this,  when  a  man-of-war  boat  appeared,  flying  the  Rus 
sian  flag.  When  she  had  approached  within  fifty  yards 
of  us  an  officer  stood  up  in  her  stern,  asked  who  we 
were,  where  we  came  from,  and  then  returned  to  the 
harbour ! 

Our  invitation  to  enter  the  harbour  was  not  so 
pressing  as  to  require  our  presence  on  that  particular 
day,  so  I  postponed  my  visit  until  I  could  learn  the 
meaning  of  this  unusual  boat  call.  The  weather  had 
cleared  somewhat,  giving  us  a  faint  view  of  the  enor 
mous  forts  about  the  entrance  to  the  harbour  and  on 
the  high  land  in  the  background.  We  got  under  way 
at  once  and  proceeded  on  our  way  to  Dalny.  Passing 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

close  along-  the  rugged,  rocky  shore,  we  could  form 
some  idea  of  the  number  of  Russian  troops  centred 
about  Port  Arthur.  Their  white  tents  seemed  to  cover 
the  country  in  every  direction,  and  a  great  number  were 
quartered  in  huts  on  the  hillsides.  We  estimated  that 
there  were  over  forty  thousand  men  in  the  various 
camps  we  saw.  Some  of  the  regiments  were  drilling, 
and  made  a  striking  picture  in  their  peculiar  dress — 
white  coats  and  black  trousers. 

After  we  had  anchored,  official  calls  were  promptly 
made — most  promptly,  I  may  say,  for  there  was  a  feel 
ing  in  the  air  that  each  side  was  looking  to  the  con 
duct  of  the  other.  No  salutes  were  fired  on  enter 
ing  the  port,  as  there  was  no  battery  to  return  them. 
Two  Russian  gunboats  were  the  only  war  vessels  in 
port. 

The  military  governor  was  absent,  but  the  civil  gov 
ernor  received  me  most  cordially,  extended  to  me  every 
possible  courtesy,  and  showed  me  everything  there  was 
to  be  seen.  He  was  a  brilliant  young  engineer  who  had 
laid  out  and  partly  constructed  this  wonderful  city. 
Thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars  had  been  spent, 
and  the  end  of  expenditure  was  not  yet  in  sight.  Great 
stone  docks,  capable  of  accommodating  an  enormous 
amount  of  shipping,  had  been  designed  and  partly  con 
structed,  many  of  them,  indeed,  finished,  ready  for  the 
Japanese,  who  came  to  occupy  them  two  years  later. 
The  city  itself  was  beautifully  laid  out — one  section  for 
Chinese,  one  for  Europeans,  one  for  business  purposes, 
and  one  for  residences,  all  under  the  most  modern  sani 
tary  regulations. 

After  lunching  with  the  governor  and  his  charming 
1 60 


A  Visionary  Scheme 

wife,  we  drove  over  the  entire  city  and  its  suburbs. 
With  the  aid  of  maps,  I  was  shown  what  it  was  in 
tended  to  do,  what  had  been  done,  and  what  remained 
to  do  to  complete  the  scheme  of  this  great,  ice-free 
Russian  port  in  the  East.  A  more  visionary  scheme  I 
have  never  heard  of.  The  place  was  to  have  no  fortifi 
cations,  because  the  merchants  and  tradesmen  of  all  na 
tions  were  to  settle  there,  and  for  that  reason  alone  no 
one  would  dare  attack  it.  When  I  had  seen  all  the  city 
part,  the  governor  pointed  out  a  great  space  on  the 
shores  of  the  beautiful  bay  where  factories  of  all  sorts, 
under  all  flags,  were  to  be  erected.  Because  of  cheap 
labour  and  the  entry  of  raw  material  free,  the  factories 
were  to  turn  out  great  quantities  of  excellent,  cheap 
products.  I  asked  the  governor  what  was  to  become  of 
all  this  output.  He  replied  that  all  Manchuria  was 
waiting  to  purchase  the  things  as  soon  as  they  could  be 
made;  that  the  market  could  never  be  oversupplied. 
When  I  suggested  that  capital — American  capital,  at 
least — would  hesitate  before  entering  fully  on  this 
scheme,  because  there  was  only  one  railroad — a  Rus 
sian  government  road — connecting  the  factories  with 
the  country  to  be  supplied,  that  differential  rates  would 
eat  up  all  profits  for  those  who  were  not  the  favoured 
ones,  his  face  was  a  study.  I  also  intimated  that  mer 
chants  would  surely  deman'd  something  more  in  the  way 
of  protection  than  had  so  far  been  projected.  I  con 
cluded  by  saying  that  in  the  war  which  seemed  immi 
nent  between  Japan  and  Russia,  the  Japanese  would 
quickly  occupy  Dalny  as  a  base  from  which  to  operate 
against  Port  Arthur.  After  a  few  moments  of  thought 
ful  silence,  the  governor  said  to  me : 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

"  I  am  surprised,  Admiral,  that  you  anticipate  war 
for  my  country.  The  Japanese  will  never  dare  attack 
Russia.  We  are  too  strong  for  them." 

I  did  not  feel  called  upon  to  reply  to  this,  although 
he  evidently  wanted  me  to.  I  preferred  to  let  him  wait 
and  see  for  himself  how  much  afraid  the  Japanese 
were.  My  short  experience  with  them  had  fully  con 
vinced  me  on  that  point. 

The  granting  of  Dalny  to  Russia  by  China  was  in 
connection  with  the  concession  for  the  construction  of 
the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad  through  Manchuria.  This 
road  was  to  connect  Russia,  by  way  of  Siberia  and 
Manchuria,  with  Vladivostock,  having  Dalny  as  its  ter 
minus  in  Manchuria.  Branch  roads  were  to  connect 
with  Harbin  and  other  points.  That  the  Russian  gov 
ernment  intended  to  use  this  road  when  completed  as  a 
means  of  rapidly  transporting  troops  and  supplies,  in 
case  of  necessity,  was  plain  to  all,  particularly  to  Japan. 
That  the  Japanese  government  tried  in  every  way  to 
neutralise  the  effect  produced  by  it  is  well  known;  she 
was  unsuccessful,  and  trouble  came  because  of  it.  More 
serious  trouble  will,  I  think,  come  from  the  same  cause 
in  the  future. 


CHAPTER    XV 

IN    NORTHERN   ASIA 

AMUSED  and  interested  with  our  Dalny  visit,  we  ran 
back  to  Chefoo  to  meet  a  store-ship  from  home,  make 
necessary  transfer  of  men,  and  receive  supplies.  Hav 
ing  done  this,  I  sailed  with  the  New  Orleans,  the  Vicks- 
burg,  and  the  Helena  in  company  for  Chemulpo,  Korea, 
arriving  there  on  August  6th. 

Our  minister  having  made  the  necessary  arrange 
ments  for  an  audience  with  his  Majesty,  the  Emperor 
of  Korea,  I  left  the  fleet  on  the  morning  of  the  7th  of 
August,  accompanied  by  my  personal  staff  and  the  cap 
tains  of  the  Vicksburg  and  Helena,  and  proceeded  to 
Seoul.  The  railroad  over  which  we  travelled — the  cars 
and  everything  in  connection  with  them — seemed  in 
keeping  with  the  wretched  country  through  which  we 
were  riding.  Dirt,  poverty,  and  misery  were  in  evi 
dence  everywhere.  There  was  little  in  the  way  of  cul 
tivation  beyond  patches  of  rice  or  melons.  The  natives 
lived  almost  exclusively  on  the  former,  and  thousands 
of  them  die  every  year  of  cholera  from  eating  the  lat 
ter.  The  melons  are  really  of  fine  quality,  very  whole 
some  when  properly  eaten.  The  natives  of  the  very 
poor  classes  eat  them  rind  and  all.  The  rind  contains 
the  cholera  germ,  and  in  this  way  the  disease  starts  and 
spreads.  The  houses  were  very  like  the  people — poor 


An  Admiral's  Log 

and  ill-looking.  When  a  fine-looking  house  was  seen 
we  were  told  that  it  belonged  to  some  Japanese  gentle 
man,  who  kept  it  filled  with  rice  or  other  kind  of  pro 
visions.  The  meaning  of  this  could  be  seen  later  on 
when  war  broke  out  between  Japan  and  Russia.  The 
land  seemed  fertile  enough ;  the  people  would  not  culti 
vate  it,  because  everything  they  made  beyond  a  bare 
living  was  promptly  appropriated  by  the  Emperor  or 
his  agents. 

The  view  of  the  capital  city  as  we  approached  it  by 
rail  was  picturesque.  The  great  wall  surrounding  it 
had  withstood  the  hundreds  of  years  that  had  passed 
since  it  was  built,  as  well  as  the  assaults  of  many 
armies.  It  was  ugly,  as  ugly  as  all  mud  walls  are,  but 
picturesque.  There  was  nothing  green  in  sight  from 
the  outside — only  brown  fields  and  mud-coloured  walls. 
Inside  the  ancient  gates,  through  which  we  passed  as 
the  guards  presented  arms  and  scowled  at  us,  the  view 
was  not  much  better.  The  trees  and  scant  shrubbery 
afforded  some  relief  to  the  eyes,  but  everything  else 
was  brown.  Dirty,  filthy,  dilapidated  houses  and  dirty 
streets  filled  with  dirty  people  extended  in  every  direc 
tion.  Even  the  soldiers  were  dirty  and  slouchy.  The 
only  modern  or  decent  thing  I  saw  was  a  small  street 
railroad  running  through  the  main  streets  of  the 
wretched  city.  This  had  been  built  by  an  American 
company,  and  was  doing  a  thriving  business.  Inside 
the  compounds,  or  grounds,  of  the  foreign  ministers 
everything  was  different;  shrubs  and  exquisite  flowers 
filled  the  well-kept  grounds;  instead  of  the  squalor  of 
the  natives,  one  found  here  comfort,  luxury,  and  refine 
ment,  which  only  made  the  contrast  more  striking. 

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The  Emperor  of  Korea 

The  Emperor  of  Korea  was  progressive  in  one  re 
spect  at  least.  Finding  himself  only  a  king,  while  his 
ruling  neighbour  on  the  one  side  was  an  emperor  and  on 
the  other  an  empress,  he  proceeded  to  declare  that  he 
also  would  be  an  emperor.  To  install  himself  properly 
in  his  new  position,  he  appropriated  from  the  treasury 
about  four  millions  of  dollars,  ordered  a  new  palace 
built,  and  grand  ceremonies  and  festivities  to  mark  his 
change  of  title.  All  foreign  representatives  in  the  East 
were  invited  to  be  present;  some  of  them  went,  some 
stayed  away.  Every  detail  was  properly  carried  out  by 
the  use  of  quite  a  large  body  of  troops,  so  that  on  the 
occasion  of  my  visit  I  found  an  emperor  instead  of  a 
king.  He  was  surrounded  by  all  the  pomp  and  eti 
quette  of  other  courts;  he  even  had  some  things  not 
known  to  other  emperors  I  had  had  the  honour  of  being 
presented  to! 

The  city  residence  of  our  minister  was  a  charming, 
refined  house  full  of  exquisite  old  things;  and  there, 
after  changing  our  dress,  we  waited  for  the  summons 
to  appear  before  his  Majesty.  The  hour  for  our  audi 
ence  had  been  set  for  noon,  but  when  that  time  came 
the  Emperor  was  still  sleeping,  and,  of  course,  we  had 
to  wait  until  he  was  awake.  I  warned  all  the  officers 
who  were  to  be  presented  with  me  to  be  most  careful 
not  to  attempt  to  shake  hands,  or  make  any  movement 
to  do  so,  until  his  Majesty  offered  his  hand. 

Finally,  at  one  P.M.,  we  proceeded  to  the  new  pal 
ace  and  were  ushered  into  the  royal  presence,  after 
passing  long  lines  of  soldiers  and  thousands  of  scowling 
faces.  The  Emperor  received  us  graciously  for  a  man 
who,  apparently,  had  just  recovered  from  a  hard  night, 
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An  Admiral's  Log 

shook  hands  with  me,  assured  me  of  his  friendly  re 
gard  for  my  country,  which  was  reciprocated.  Then  I 
backed  out.  The  other  officers  were  then  presented,  the 
four  captains  first.  After  them  came  an  officer  of  my 
staff,  tall,  fine-looking,  worth  any  thousand  Koreans  in 
the  country.  I  suppose  the  fact  that  the  four  captains 
who  preceded  him  had  all  been  favoured  with  a  hand 
shake  induced  this  officer  to  extend  his  hand.  In  return 
he  received  a  cold  stare  from  his  Majesty,  who  stood 
calmly  with  his  hand  by  his  side.  For  two  seconds  the 
officer  stood  perfectly  still  with  his  hand  extended,  the 
flush  on  his  face  fading  quickly  until  he  was  perfectly 
white;  then  his  hand  came  to  his  side,  his  eyes  flashed, 
and  with  a  profound  bow  he  backed  out.  The  other 
officers  did  not  forget  what  I  had  tried  to  impress  on 
them  in  the  matter  of  shaking  hands  with  royalty.  The 
innocent  offender  against  royal  etiquette  was  seriously 
wounded  in  his  feelings,  but  it  was  worth  the  punish 
ment  he  had  received  to  hear  the  language  he  after 
wards  used  about  this  copper-coloured  monarch. 

On  the  throne  with  the  Emperor  sat  his  son,  the 
Crown  Prince  and  heir-apparent  to  the  throne,  a  half 
witted  young  man  who  grinned  and  giggled  incessantly. 
Emperor  and  Crown  Prince  had  all  the  marks  of  hard 
drinking  and  high  living  for  which  they  were  cele 
brated.  Neither  of  them  seemed  to  me  capable  of  con 
ducting  any  ordinary  business  requiring  common  sense, 
much  less  conducting  a  country  in  the  perilous  position 
of  Korea.  Why  our  government  should  support  and 
aid  such  rulers  is  a  question  the  State  Department  may 
be  able  to  answer,  but  certainly  I  am  not. 

After  our  audience  we  were  invited  to  a  luncheon 
1 66 


An  Imperial   Luncheon 

for  which  the  Emperor  had  drawn  ten  thousand  dol 
lars  from  the  treasury.  It  cost,  at  most,  five  to  six  hun 
dred  dollars ;  the  rest,  I  was  told,  found  its  way  to  the 
bank  account  of  his  Majesty.  It  was  an  ordinary  meal, 
European  dishes  cooked  and  served  in  European  fash 
ion.  French  wines  were  served  and  consumed  in  very_ 
large  quantities.  A  number  of  Korean  officials  sat  with 
us — ministers,  secretaries,  and  army  officers — all  of 
whom  astonished  us  by  the  amount  they  could  eat  and 
drink.  During  the  meal  a  fine  military  band  of  thirty- 
eight  pieces  furnished  excellent  music,  a  bit  mechanical 
but  distinctly  good.  The  bandmaster,  a  Japanese  from 
the  academy  of  music  in  Tokio,  told  me  later  that  all  the 
musicians  had  been  trained  in  the  period  of  one  year; 
previous  to  that  time  none  of  them  could  play  a  musical 
instrument.  This  was  about  the  only  thing  I  heard  of 
them  that  led  me  to  think  there  was  any  good  in  the 
Koreans. 

Luncheon  completed,  we  were  conducted  to  a  broad 
piazza,  to  witness  the  performances  of  the  Emperor's 
dancing  girls,  more  properly  dancing  women — they  all 
looked  forty  years  old  or  more.  He  had  eighty  of  these 
women,  each  of  whom  received,  I  was  told,  about  ten 
dollars  a  week  and  a  new  silk  dress.  The  dancing  con 
tinued  an  hour  or  more,  and  was  curious  and  interest 
ing,  at  first,  mainly  because  we  did  not  understand 
what  the  dancers  were  trying  to  illustrate.  When  the 
game  they  were  playing  was  explained  all  interest  van 
ished;  it  would  have  been  amusing  to  children,  not  to 
grown  men.  There  was  none  of  the  grace  and  excite 
ment  of  the  Japanese  "  chon-nuke,"  or  the  suggestive 
movements  of  the  fair  creatures  seen  in  the  Jardin 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Mabille.  A  sense  of  relief  came  to  us  all  when  we  were 
permitted  to  withdraw  to  the  comfort  of  our  consul's 
house,  where  we  enjoyed  a  few  hours'  rest,  and  then 
returned  to  our  ships  feeling  that  our  mission  was  suc 
cessful,  that  the  disputed  claims  would  be  paid. 

The  following  day  the  usual  presents — fans,  pieces 
of  silk  or  satin,  native  silver  work,  etc. — were  sent  by 
the  Emperor,  one  piece  to  each  officer  who  had  been 
presented.  A  proper  letter  of  acknowledgment  was  sent 
to  his  Majesty  through  our  minister,  and  the  fleet  left 
Korean  waters,  passing  close  by  Round  Island,  where, 
a  few  months  later,  the  first  act  in  the  great  war  drama 
between  Russia  and  Japan  was  played. 

In  view  of  the  position  assumed  later  by  the  Rus 
sian  authorities  in  Manchuria  that  they  owned  all  the 
timber  and  mining  rights  in  Korea,  it  may  be  well  to 
state  here  that  at  that  time — the  summer  of  1902 — an 
American  company  had  been  granted  a  large  timber 
concession  covering  the  exclusive  right  to  cut  lumber 
over  a  large  area.  A  company  of  our  countrymen  also 
were  successfully  working  gold  mines  in  the  mountains 
of  Korea  under  concessions  granted  by  the  Emperor 
while  still  only  a  king.  The  concessions,  however, 
were  of  minor  importance  when  compared  with  those 
covering  the  right  to  build  railroads,  which  were  of 
vital  importance  to  two  great  nations.  Russian  officers 
of  high  rank  spent  sleepless  nights  thinking  of  the  time 
when  they  should  occupy,  fortify,  and  hold  the  ports 
of  Fusan  and  Massampho,  the  latter  facing  the  coast  of 
Japan  across  the  straits  of  Korea.  Russian  diplomacy 
at  Seoul  for  once  failed,  and  the  right  to  connect  these 
ports  with  Chemulpo  and  Seoul  was  granted  to  Jap- 

168 


Through  the  Straits  of  Korea 

anese  citizens.  When  the  time  came  to  act,  the  Japanese 
government,  watching  this  question,  without  for  a  mo 
ment  losing  sight  of  its  great  importance,  stepped  in, 
took  over  the  concession,  and  completed  the  road  with 
out  delay.  Thus,  the  Yalu  River  continued  to  be  the 
line  of  defence  for  Japan  against  Russian  advance,  in 
stead  of  the  straits  of  Korea,  which  would  have  been 
the  case  had  Russia  succeeded  in  her  schemes. 

Another  transport  was  waiting  at  Nagasaki  to  be 
discharged.  Having  orders  to  expedite  her  return  to 
San  Francisco,  I  ran  over  to  Nagasaki,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  cholera  was  raging  there.  Orders  must 
be  obeyed  regardless  of  sanitary  conditions.  The 
cholera  really  was  threatening  at  Nagasaki  in  spite  of 
the  efforts  of  the  government  to  get  it  under  control. 
I  remained  outside  with  the  ships,  giving  all  my  time 
to  fleet  work,  only  one  ship  at  a  time  being  sent  in  to 
communicate  with  the  transport.  In  this  way  and  by 
not  having  any  communication  with  the  shore,  we  were 
fortunate  enough  to  escape  without  a  single  case  of  the 
dreaded  disease. 

It  was  necessary  to  find  some  place  free  from  chol 
era  where  the  men  could  be  granted  liberty  on  shore. 
The  north  seemed  the  most  likely  direction  and  Vladi- 
vostock  the  most  desirable  place  for  many  reasons.  The 
Russian  authorities  had  announced  that  they  would 
allow  only  two  vessels  of  war  of  each  nation  in  that 
port  at  one  time ;  formerly  any  number  could  be  there. 
Ordering  the  New  Orleans  to  join  me  later,  and  the 
Helena  and  Vicksburg  to  the  Inland  Sea  ports,  I  sailed 
with  the  Kentucky.  Up  through  the  straits  of  Korea, 
over  the  very  spot  where  Admiral  Togo  a  few  months 

169 


An  Admiral's  Log 

later  put  the  Russian  fleet  out  of  business,  we  ran  with 
just  the  same  kind  of  weather — fog,  with  thick  mist 
and  an  ugly,  breaking  sea.  For  two  days  we  had  this ; 
then  we  entered  the  port  of  Vladivostock  and  anchored. 
It  was  not  a  difficult  place  to  enter,  even  in  a  fog.  The 
Russians  thought  it  impossible  until  one  morning  when 
they  found  six  British  frigates  anchored  within  easy 
gunshot  of  the  town.  A  notice  was  then  sent  abroad 
that  only  two  ships  might  come  in  at  a  time.  The  guns 
of  the  forts  could  keep  ships  out  in  clear  weather — at 
least,  it  was  supposed  they  could — but  guns  were  of  no 
use  in  a  fog. 

Our  reception  by  the  port  authorities,  both  civil  and 
military,  was  most  cordial.  A  large  Russian  fleet  was 
in  port,  many  salutes  were  fired,  and  all  necessary  offi 
cial  calls  were  made.  A  few  hours  after  we  anchored 
I  noticed  that  three  buoys  were  being  placed  for  French 
ships ;  they  had  small  French  flags  on  them.  The  rule 
of  two  ships  only  was  not  to  be  enforced  by  the  authori 
ties  against  their  allies,  which  was  no  business  of  mine. 
I  did  not  wish  to  bring  in  more  than  two  ships,  and  I 
took  no  notice  of  it.  Later  in  the  day  a  train  load  of 
soldiers  came  in  from  Harbin  while  I  was  on  shore  hav 
ing  a  look  at  the  town.  When  one  of  the  box  cars  was 
opened  the  dead  bodies  of  a  number  of  soldiers  who 
had  died  of  cholera  were  taken  out.  This,  with  the 
look  I  had  had  to  the  wide-open  character  of  the  town, 
convinced  me  that  I  should  have  to  find  some  other 
place  in  which  to  give  liberty  to  the  men.  It  was  advis 
able,  however,  that  we  should  remain  a  few  days  to 
allow  the  intelligence  officer  an  opportunity  to  learn 
what  he  could  of  the  defences,  to  observe  the  doings  of 

170 


At  Vladivostock 

the  Russian  fleet,  and  generally  to  get  such  information 
as  we  could. 

The  defences  were  undoubtedly  very  strong.  Guns 
stared  one  in  the  face  at  every  point.  Forts  crowned 
all  the  heights  about  the  entrance  and  as  far  back  in  the 
country  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Many  thousands  of 
artillery  soldiers,  fine,  athletic-looking  men,  garrisoned 
the  harbour  works,  and,  as  nearly  as  we  could  learn, 
fifteen  thousand  Cossacks  were  encamped  a  short  dis 
tance  from  the  city.  I  saw  many  of  them  when  I  was 
on  shore — large,  heavy-looking  men,  with  red  beards — 
riding  their  fine  horses  about  the  streets  at  breakneck 
speed,  or  else  rolling  from  side  to  side  because  of  the 
liquor  they  had  consumed.  The  city  was  a  lake  of 
mud,  sticky  red  stuff,  about  the  consistency  of  molasses 
and  up  to  one's  knees  in  most  places.  Saloons  were  in 
evidence  everywhere — large  buildings,  well  lighted,  at 
tractive  by  reason  of  women  and  wine,  and  full  to  over 
flowing  day  and  night.  No  boom  mining  town  in  our 
western  country  ever  equalled  it.  Champagne  and 
vodka  literally  flowed  over  the  door  sills  as  well  as 
down  human  throats.  Officers  in  gorgeous  uniforms, 
as  well  as  private  soldiers,  seemed  to  fancy  these  houses 
of  pleasure.  It  was  a  new  feature  in  preparing  for  a 
great  war,  which  they,  it  must  be  said,  did  not  believe 
was  coming,  but  which  was,  to  the  casual  observer,  in 
plain  sight.  It  certainly  did  not  promise  well  for  Rus 
sia  when  the  struggle  should  come. 

The  ships  of  the  fleet  seemed  in  worse  condition  for 
service  than  the  forts.  Most  of  them  were  out  of  com 
mission  or  under  repairs,  their  crews  living  in  barracks 
on  shore.  Some  drilling  was  done  every  day,  but  it 

171 


An  Admiral's  Log 

seemed  to  us  of  a  perfunctory  or  trifling  nature.  The 
officers  enjoyed  life  at  the  Naval  Club,  a  well-organised 
and  useful  society,  necessary  to  relieve  the  strain  of 
long  service  on  this  out-of-the-way  station. 

During  the  forenoon  of  the  third  day  of  our  visit  I 
sent  word  to  the  authorities  that  I  would  sail  on  the 
following  morning  for  the  Japanese  port  of  Hakodate, 
offering  to  take  mails.  Immediately  I  received,  at  the 
hands  of  a  staff  officer,  an  invitation  to  dine  with  the 
rear-admiral,  second  in  command,  at  eight  o'clock  that 
evening — short  notice  for  a  formal  dinner  certainly. 
I  assumed  that  the  dinner  was  for  my  friend  Admiral 
Marechal  and  his  officers,  but  such  was  not  the  case. 
Admiral  Skrydloff,  the  able  commander-in-chief,  was 
absent  on  a  Russian  cruiser,  looking  after  some  coal 
deposits  which  had  been  discovered  on  the  coast.  The 
dinner  was  given  for  me  by  Admiral  Stark,  second  in 
command,  and  the  French  officers  were  not  invited. 
When  I  arrived  on  the  flagship  at  the  time  named,  sev 
eral  Russian  officers  courteously  assisted  me  in  remov 
ing  my  heavy  overcoat.  One  of  them  was  the  admiral. 

"  Why  are  you  going  to  sea  to-morrow  ?  "  he  asked 
me,  his  voice  somewhat  excited. 

I  told  him  as  politely  as  I  could  that  I  was  going  to 
sea  because  I  had  business  in  that  direction.  It  then 
developed  that  some  one  had  started  the  story  that  I 
was  offended  because  three  French  ships  had  been  per 
mitted  to  enter  instead  of  two ;  that  I  was  going  to  sea 
to  show  my  resentment.  I  assured  the  admiral  that  the 
French  were  our  staunch  friends,  that  the  Russians 
were  the  same,  and  if  I  had  felt  for  a  moment  that  any 
unfriendly  reflection  was  intended  I  should  have  re- 

172 


Dinner  with  the  Russian  Admiral 

mained  quietly  at  anchor  until  it  was  explained.  This 
seemed  to  satisfy  him,  his  excitement  disappeared,  and 
the  dinner  was  served. 

It  was  a  curious  repast — the  first  large  Russian  din 
ner  I  had  ever  attended.  There  were  present  a  dozen 
or  more  Russian  officers,  all  speaking  English  perfectly, 
many  of  them  men  who  were  to  figure  prominently  in 
the  coming  war.  I  was  deeply  interested  in  their  conver 
sation,  particularly  in  their  views  of  the  coming  struggle, 
which  they  expressed  very  freely  after  they  had  warmed 
up  with  vodka  and  champagne.  I  was  amazed  at  the 
amount  those  men  ate  and  drank.  Their  physical  con 
dition  was  perfect.  A  side  table  contained  every  kind 
of  appetiser  I  ever  heard  of,  many  I  had  never  before 
seen — salt  or  dried  fish  of  every  kind,  several  varieties 
of  caviar,  vodka,  and  cordials  of  every  brand.  When 
these  things  had  been  sampled — all  of  them  were — din 
ner  seemed  superfluous.  It  was  eaten,  however,  and 
apparently  enjoyed.  First  came  a  very  large  dish  of 
soup,  followed  by  a  thick  slice  of  fish,  the  like  of  which 
I  had  never  before  tasted.  It  proved  to  be  sturgeon. 
Meat  was  then  served — beef,  which  I  was  sure  did  not 
come  from  Chicago ;  it  was  too  tough — and  the  dinner 
was  over  except  for  drink  and  conversation.  I  did  not 
partake  of  the  former,  but  greatly  enjoyed  the  latter. 

Some  one — Admiral  Stark,  I  think — started  the  sub 
ject  of  the  trouble  with  Japan,  and,  as  the  wine  began 
to  tell,  the  conversation  became  most  interesting  to 
those  who,  like  myself,  were  intent  listeners.  A  captain 
who  had  once  served  as  naval  attache  in  London,  evi 
dently  looked  upon  as  an  able  speaker,  was  fluent  in 
expressing  his  ideas  and  those  of  his  brother  officers. 

173 


An  Admiral's  Log 

He  held  that  Japan  would  never  dare  to  come  to  blows 
with  Russia.  She  was  too  weak  and  had  not  the  money 
for  that  game,  but  if  she  should  so  dare,  the  result  was 
inevitable.  The  Russian  navy  would  be  held  behind 
the  defences  of  Vladivostock  and  Port  Arthur  until  the 
Japanese  had  invaded  Manchuria.  I  held  my  breath 
while  waiting  to  know  what  the  speaker  thought  would 
happen  then.  He  went  on,  with  great  excitement,  to 
say  that  the  Japanese  might  land  two  hundred  thousand 
men  or  more  (the  English  could  come  with  them  if 
they  cared  to)  ;  the  Russian  navy  would  then  sally 
forth,  cut  all  lines  of  communication,  and  allow  the 
unfortunate  invader  to  die  of  starvation.  The  refer 
ence  to  the  English  was  because  of  their  alliance  with 
Japan,  just  then  announced.  The  matter  of  the  three 
French  ships  was  an  indication  of  the  Russian  alliance 
with  France. 

The  sentiments  expressed  by  this  able  captain  met 
with  the  approval  of  his  comrades;  their  applause 
seemed  genuine  and  hearty.  The  naval  part  of  the  pro 
gramme  was  followed  in  part  when  war  came,  for  the 
fleet  was  divided  as  proposed.  The  Japanese  saw  to  it 
that  they  were  never  united,  but  were  destroyed  in  de 
tail.  The  landing  in  Manchuria  was  also  carried  out, 
but  the  starving  part  failed  completely.  The  Japanese 
army  and  navy  proved  capable  of  looking  after  them 
selves  when  the  time  came.  If,  as  the  captain  sug 
gested,  the  English  had  taken  an  active  part,  the 
struggle  would  have  assumed  the  features  of  a 
great  picnic.  When  the  war  that  came  later  was 
being  fought,  I  often  thought  of  this  dinner.  The 
admiral  who  gave  it  was  in  command  of  the  fleet  at 


Japanese  Preparations  for  War 

Port  Arthur  when  the  Japanese  made  their  successful 
attack  on  the  pth  of  February.  He  was  attending  a 
ball  on  shore  at  the  time,  still  confident,  I  suppose,  that 
they  would  never  be  attacked.  I  was  sorry  that  Skryd- 
loff,  one  of  the  ablest  men  in  our  profession,  was  not  at 
the  dinner.  I  am  sure  his  views  would  have  been  dif 
ferent  from  those  I  heard  expressed.  Mackaroff  and 
Skrydloff  were  the  two  men  who  could  have  saved  the 
Russian  fleet  if  it  were  possible  to  do  so  after  the  first 
grave  blunder  of  dividing  it  had  been  made;  for  both 
were  masters  of  their  profession,  the  latter  a  bright, 
shining  light  among  torpedo  men.  Mackaroff  went 
down  with  his  flagship  when  she  struck  a  mine  off  Port 
Arthur,  and  Skrydloff  arrived  when  that  port  was  be 
sieged  by  Nogi  and  was  unable  to  get  to  the  fleet. 

Still  in  search  of  a  port  free  from  cholera,  I  left 
Vladivostock  and  ran  over  to  Hakodate,  on  the  Island 
of  Yesso,  where  I  found  what  I  was  looking  for.  Dur 
ing  the  week  of  our  stay  the  pretty  little  Japanese  town 
was  filled  with  American  sailors,  enjoying  to  the  full 
the  hospitality  of  the  people.  This  is  one  of  the  great 
fish  markets  of  the  East.  The  sight  of  the  fishing  fleet 
at  night,  like  the  lights  of  some  great  floating  city,  is 
worth  a  long  trip.  And  the  fish,  when  the  boats  come 
in,  are  beautiful  to  look  at  and  delicious  to  eat.  On 
shore  everything  indicated  preparations  for  war — quiet 
preparations,  but  most  thorough.  The  forts  in  course 
of  construction,  the  soldiers  quietly  drilling  every 
where,  and  the  look  on  the  brown  faces,  meant  only  one 
thing — a  determination  to  defend  their  country  to  the 
last  man.  How  the  Russians  failed  to  understand  this 
is  beyond  me.  Their  spies  were  thick  here,  as  elsewhere 

175 


An  Admiral's  Log 

in  Japan,  yet  they  thought  there  was  to  be  no  war,  or 
pretended  to  think  so. 

Hakodate  was  historically  interesting.  It  was  here 
that  my  old  friend  Admiral  Enomoto  made  his  last 
stand  during  the  Shogunate  rebellion,  and  here  he  lost 
his  last  ships,  old  sailing  craft,  after  one  of  the  hardest 
fights  in  Japanese  history.  I  saw  him  several  times  in 
1867,  when  the  present  Emperor  was  a  growing  lad; 
later  I  met  him  at  dinner  in  Tokio  and  heard  from  his 
own  lips  how  the  battle  of  Hakodate  was  fought,  and, 
as  I  had  just  then  visited  the  harbour,  the  account  was 
interesting  and  thrilling.  The  admiral,  now  a  peer  of 
the  realm,  enjoys  good  health  and  renders  valuable 
service  to  his  government. 

The  commander-in-chief  had  notified  me  to  meet 
him  in  Yokohama  harbour,  where  I  found  most  of  the 
fleet  assembled.  Orders  had  come  from  Washington 
to  hold  extended  fleet  exercises  during  the  fall  and  win 
ter  at  Manila  or  in  that  vicinity,  and  those  vessels  that 
were  north  would  sail  in  company  for  the  Philippines, 
thus  securing  the  benefit  of  tactical  work  on  the  way. 

A  few  days  after  my  arrival  at  Yokohama  we  had 
an  example  of  the  thorough  way  in  which  the  Japanese 
do  things.  Two  or  three  cases  of  bubonic  plague  de 
veloped  in  a  section  of  the  city  bordering  on  the  water, 
probably  from  a  merchant  ship  unloading  freight,  caus 
ing  something  of  a  panic  among  the  people.  The 
government  took  charge  at  once,  removed  all  who  had 
been  exposed  to  contagion,  well  people  and  sick,  to  the 
hospital,  built  a  sheet-iron  defence  across  the  point  of 
land  containing  warehouses  and  dwellings,  called  out 
the  fire  department,  set  fire  to  the  buildings,  and  de- 


Japanese  Thoroughness 

stroyed  every  one  of  them.  The  fence  prevented  the 
escape  of  rats.  They  were  either  burned  to  death  or 
killed  by  men  detailed  for  the  purpose,  and  the  plague 
was  not  heard  of  again.  A  rat  lottery  was  organised, 
cash  prizes  of  considerable  value  offered,  and  about 
forty  thousand  rats  were  caught.  Seventy  per  cent 
of  them  had  plague. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

UP   THE   YANGTZE   RIVER 

EARLY  in  September  the  commander-in-chief  advised 
me  that  he  would  turn  over  the  command  of  the  sta 
tion  to  me  in  November,  and  sail  for  San  Francisco  in 
his  flagship,  the  New  York.  Much  of  the  inspection 
work  which  I  had  laid  out  for  myself  remained  uncom 
pleted,  for  my  time  had  been  fully  occupied  with  other 
matters.  The  importance  of  these  inspections  was  so 
great  that  I  determined  to  complete  them  before  as 
suming  the  more  exacting  duties  of  commander-in- 
chief,  as  no  additional  time  could  then  be  found,  I  was 
sure. 

In  pursuance  of  this  plan  I  left  Yokohama,  having 
the  Yorktown  in  company,  on  September  I9th,  passed 
the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yangtze  River  at  high  water 
without  trouble,  though  we  stirred  up  the  mud  for  sev 
eral  miles,  and  anchored  off  Wusung,  China,  on  the 
morning  of  the  23d.  On  the  passage  down  the  coast 
the  weather  was  bad.  We  were  comfortable  on  the 
Kentucky,  but  they  were  not  so  on  the  Yorktown,  and 
she  had  to  drop  out  of  sight.  She  could  cross  the  bar 
at  any  stage  of  the  tide;  the  Kentucky,  drawing  so 
much  more  water,  must  get  over  at  the  top  of  high 
water. 

The  low  mud  forts  about  Wusung  looked  about  the 


At  Wusung 

same  to  me  as  when  I  had  last  seen  them,  thirty-five 
years  before.  There  were  more  of  them  and  some  of 
the  guns  were  heavier,  but  the  general  effect  was  the 
same.  Nothing,  indeed,  changes  much  in  China,  except 
where  foreigners  take  a  hand — cities  grow  dirtier, 
graveyards  spread  out  over  more  country;  but  the  gen 
eral  aspect  is  unchanged  to-day  or  fifty  years  from  now. 
Things  that  are  purely  Chinese  cannot  be  changed  un 
less  wiped  out  and  begun  anew.  I  remember  asking  a 
Russian  officer  of  rank  how  he  proposed  to  colonise 
Manchuria — by  moving  in  whole  Russian  families  or  by 
allowing  their  soldiers  to  take  Chinese  wives  and  raise 
families.  He  replied  that  it  would  have  to  be  done  by 
bringing  in  whole  families,  as,  if  the  soldiers  married 
Chinese  women — many  of  them  had  done  so — the  chil 
dren  would  be  half  Chinese,  or  more  than  half,  and  the 
next  generation  pure  Chinese — in  appearance,  at  least 
They  bred  back  to  the  great  mass,  four  hundred  mil 
lions  of  people,  behind  the  women.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  everything  I  saw  in  China  pointed  to  the  same  re 
sult;  one  could  not  change  anything  Chinese  unless  one 
eliminated  the  Chinese  element  completely  in  the  be 
ginning. 

Before  visiting  Wusung  I  had  made  arrangements 
for  a  trip  up  the  Yangtze  as  far  as  one  of  our  ships 
could  go.  Our  missionaries  and  merchants  were  scat 
tered  through  the  valley  of  this  river  and  the  adjoin 
ing  country  for  hundreds  of  miles,  and  the  feeling 
among  them,  since  the  close  of  the  Boxer  trouble,  was 
that  their  lives  were  constantly  in  danger.  How  to 
aid  them  was  a  most  important  question.  It  was  de 
sirable  to  look  the  ground  over  and  see  for  myself  just 

179 


An  Admiral's  Log 

what  could  be  done,  and  determine  upon  some  plan  of 
rescue  if  it  became  necessary.  I  selected  for  the  trip  the 
gunboat  Helena,  commanded  by  Captain  R.  R.  Inger- 
soll,  an  officer  of  marked  ability  who  had  spent  much 
time  on  the  river  and  knew  the  conditions  better  than 
any  other  officer  under  my  command.  I  also  requested 
Lieutenant-Commander  Marsh,  naval  attache  for  Tokio 
and  Pekin,  to  accompany  me,  which  he  kindly  con 
sented  to  do.  During  the  time  he  had  been  on  duty 
in  the  East,  this  officer  had  shown  astonishing  aptitude 
for  the  work  given  him.  His  ability  to  deal  with 
Asiatics,  his  wonderful  tact  and  courtesy  in  his  inter 
course  with  them,  added  to  his  professional  qualifica 
tions,  which  were  of  the  highest  order,  had  enabled  him 
to  collect  a  mass  of  information  most  useful  to  me  and 
his  government.  By  his  untiring  energy  he  had  suc 
ceeded  in  photographing  every  important  fort  and  bat 
tery  on  the  river  we  were  to  ascend,  and  his  advice  and 
assistance  were  most  valuable  to  me  during  the  entire 
trip. 

When  I  had  completed  my  inspection  work  and  was 
about  to  sail  for  Wusung,  the  Austrian  cruiser,  Maria 
Theresa,  came  in  and  anchored.  The  last  time  I  had 
seen  her  was  off  the  harbour  of  Santiago,  Cuba,  after 
the  battle  of  the  3d  of  July,  1898.  It  will  be  recalled 
that  on  that  occasion  our  guns  had  been  trained  on  her, 
and  that  she  narrowly  escaped  the  fate  of  the  Spanish 
ships  because  her  flag  was  so  much  like  theirs.  Upon 
returning  the  official  call  of  her  captain,  I  found  among 
her  officers  some  who  had  been  on  board  at  Santiago, 
and  they  laughingly  admitted  that  their  position  on  that 
occasion  was  critical,  to  say  the  least!  A  delicate  at- 

180 


On  the  Yangtze 

tempt  on  my  part  to  ascertain  the  real  reason  for  their 
presence  off  the  coast  at  that  particular  time  failed. 

On  September  2/th  I  transferred  my  flag,  staff,  and 
band  to  the  Helena,  and  proceeded  up  the  river.  The 
constantly  changing  channel  of  the  river  required  the 
services  of  an  expert  pilot,  and,  because  of  his  excellent 
reputation,  I  selected  Mr.  Langley,  an  American,  of 
Shanghai,  who  rendered  me  good  service.  The  river 
was  almost  in  flood  condition,  very  high  stage  of  water, 
at  least,  which  enabled  us  to  look  over  many  miles  of 
the  flat,  fertile  valley  of  the  Yangtze,  every  foot  under 
cultivation  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  The  popula 
tion  was  dense;  all  the  men,  women,  and  children  were 
engaged  in  gathering  the  enormous  crop  which  the  sea 
son  had  produced.  They  were  most  friendly  toward 
us,  glad  to  have  us  visit  them,  but  this  was  not  the 
case  either  with  their  dogs  or  their  cattle;  the  former 
would  bite  on  the  least  provocation;  the  latter,  the 
carabao,  a  clumsy  sort  of  ox  with  enormous  horns, 
would  attack  us  simply  because  we  were  not  Chinese. 
Hunting  parties  of  officers  always  found  it  better  to 
have  a  few  Chinese  attendants  to  ward  off  these  savage 
brutes.  We  were  glad  to  see  the  abundant  crops.  So 
long  as  the  people  had  good  supplies  of  food  there 
would  probably  be  no  fighting  and  bloodshed. 

On  my  way  up  river  I  stopped  at  a  few  points  only. 
It  was  necessary  to  take  advantage  of  the  high  water, 
which  would  only  last  for  a  few  weeks  at  most  and 
might  begin  to  fall  any  day.  I  anchored  only  to  take 
on  coal  and  supplies  and  change  pilots  when  necessary. 
The  native  pilots  were  a  curious  lot,  able  in  their  line, 
but  the  most  suspicious  creatures  I  ever  fell  in  with.  At 
13  181 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Hankow  I  employed  two  of  them  to  take  us  as  far  as 
Ichang.  They  brought  with  them  their  own  leadsmen, 
for  they  were  afraid  our  seamen  would  not  give  them 
the  proper  soundings,  and  their  own  cook,  fearing  that 
our  cooks  would  poison  them  in  cooking  their  food. 
When  I  saw  afterwards  what  they  were  eating,  I  won 
dered  that  they  did  not  poison  themselves!  At  Ichang 
we  had  to  stop  because  of  the  rapids  a  few  miles  above 
the  city.  The  Helena  drew  too  much  water,  and  her 
engines  were  not  powerful  enough  to  drive  her  against 
the  force  of  the  current;  in  fact,  it  was  about  all  she 
could  do  to  hold  on  when  she  was  anchored.  No  vessel 
of  her  size  and  strength  of  battery  had  ever  before  come 
so  far  up  the  river,  eleven  hundred  miles  from  Shang 
hai.  The  natives  were  much  impressed  with  her  ap 
pearance,  particularly  with  the  guns,  mounted  so  high 
in  her  military  tops  that  they  could  command  the  coun 
try  by  firing  over  the  tops  of  the  river  banks.  This  was 
just  the  thing  I  wanted  them  to  understand.  The 
Yangtze  was  navigable  more  than  two  thousand  five 
hundred  miles  above  Ichang,  but  only  specially  de 
signed  steamers  of  high  power  and  small  draught  could 
make  the  trip.  Trading  vessels,  Chinese  junks,  came 
down  with  the  current  and  made  the  return  trip  under 
sail  until  they  reached  the  rapids,  when  they  were  towed 
up  by  coolies.  Paths  had  been  cut  in  the  rocks  hun 
dreds  of  years  ago,  worn  as  smooth  as  glass  now  by 
the  thousands  of  feet  that  had  marched  over  them,  tug 
ging  at  the  tow  lines.  The  English  keep  a  small  gun 
boat  of  light  draught  at  Ichang  the  year  round;  the 
French  two  such  gunboats  at  Chung  King  above  the 
rapids. 

182 


The  Mississippi  of  the  East 

At  a  favourable  moment  I  secured  a  comfortable 
house  boat  for  a  trip  through  the  first  rapid,  for  time 
did  not  permit  a  longer  journey.  Having  stocked  her 
with  food  and  water  for  the  day,  my  staff  and  our  in 
vited  guests  went  on  board,  the  steam  launch  of  the 
Kentucky  took  us  in  tow  and,  by  carefully  watching 
the  eddies,  managed  to  pull  us  through  to  our  destina 
tion  without  accident. 

The  scenery  in  this  gorge,  or  rapid,  is  very  beau 
tiful.  For  thousands  of  years  the  great  river  has  rushed 
and  swirled  between  banks  of  solid  rock,  gradually 
cutting  it  away  until  the  walls  rise  sheer  from  the  river 
bed  to  a  height  of  two  to  four  thousand  feet,  gor 
geously  coloured  in  exquisite  tints  found  elsewhere,  so 
far  as  I  know,  only  in  the  Grand  Canons  of  the  Colo 
rado.  Surmounting  these  cliffs,  or  nestling  among 
them,  are  fine  old  Chinese  temples,  well  preserved, 
which  richly  repay  one  for  a  visit.  Between  these  verti 
cal  walls  the  yellow-brown  river,  the  Mississippi  of  the 
East,  tumbles  and  eddies  on  its  way  to  the  sea,  carry 
ing  thousands  of  tons  of  products  of  the  interior  of  this 
wonderful  country  to  the  outside  world.  The  rush  of 
the  current  is  awe-inspiring,  hard  to  describe,  yet  not 
unlike  the  current  of  the  Mississippi,  rushing  and 
swirling  through  a  break  in  its  banks.  At  the  lowest 
stage  of  water  divers  find  on  the  bottom  of  the  river 
beautiful  stones,  some  of  them  half  the  size  of  an  egg, 
brought  by  the  current  thousands  of  miles,  polished  by 
contact  with  the  bottom  in  their  long  journey,  which 
are  valued  almost  as  jewels.  I  was  fortunate  in  secur 
ing  fine  specimens  of  these,  no  two  of  them  alike  in 
colour,  and  all  beautifully  brilliant. 

183 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Among  my  callers  at  Ichang  were  some  very  in 
teresting  men.  American  interests  were  represented 
entirely  by  the  missionary  element,  and  two  fine  mem 
bers  of  that  body,  Rev.  Mr.  Huntington  and  his  daugh 
ter,  told  of  their  labours  among  the  natives.  I  was 
surprised  by  the  call  of  a  captain  of  the  German  army  in 
spotless  uniform,  of  neat  military  bearing,  and  with  an 
air  of  business  withal.  When  opportunity  offered  I 
asked  him  if  he  was  exploring  this  country  for  his 
amusement.  He  replied  that  he  was  not,  but  that  he 
was  soliciting  trade  for  Germany,  and  on  the  follow 
ing  day  he  was  to  start  on  a  trip  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  into  the  interior  for  the  same  purpose.  This, 
in  a  sphere  of  supposed  purely  English  influence,  if 
persisted  in,  may  cause  serious  friction.  It  seemed  to 
me,  without  wishing  in  the  remotest  degree  to  reflect 
on  their  religious  work,  that  our  missionaries  might, 
while  serving  the  Lord,  also  do  our  merchants  a  good 
turn  after  the  fashion  of  the  German  captain. 

The  representatives  of  two  great  church  parties,  the 
English  Roman  Catholic  and  the  French  Jesuits,  did  me 
the  honour  to  call  on  me.  The  English  Archbishop 
rather  complained  of  the  advantage  the  French  had  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  his  government,  through  diplo 
matic  channels,  had  secured  the  right  for  a  native  of 
his  faith  to  communicate  directly  with  the  Tao-Tai,  or 
governor.  In  case  of  a  dispute  between  two  Chinese, 
over  a  land  suit  for  instance,  one  an  English  Catholic 
and  the  other  a  French  convert,  the  French  convert, 
by  having  free  access  to  the  Tao-Tai,  could  have  the 
claim  settled  in  his  favour  before  the  English  Catholic 
could  get  into  court,  so  to  speak.  This  was  interesting, 

184 


u 


At  Wuchang 

as  was  the  further  point — i.  e.,  that  the  French  were 
making  more  converts  than  the  others  because  of  the 
finer  and  more  striking  features  of  their  Joss  houses 
k( churches).  [The  number  and  character  of  their  pic 
tures  seemed  to  attract  the  Chinese  to  their  faith.  The 
Catholic  Archbishop  was  in  the  orthodox  dress  of  his 
order,  while  the  Frenchman  was  in  Chinese  dress,  his 
hair  in  a  long  pig  tail  down  his  back.  It  was  a  great 
game  these  two  shrewd  men  were  playing,  attempting 
to  reform  and  "  civilise "  a  people  who  were  highly 
civilised  a  thousand  years  before  the  nations  they  repre 
sented  knew  the  meaning  of  the  word,  when  they  were, 
in  fact,  roaming  wild  in  the  woods. 

The  water  began  to  fall  in  the  river  October  7th, 
which  caused  me  to  get  under  way  and  start  down 
stream  on  the  8th.  My  visit  had  been  successful  and 
I  hoped  useful.  The  customs  authorities  informed  me 
that  the  Helena  was  the  largest  ship  that  had  ever  vis 
ited  Ichang,  that  her  presence  and  the  fact  that  she 
could  return  would  have  a  quieting  effect  on  the  restless 
class  of  the  population.  We  anchored  off  Hankow  on 
the  evening  of  the  loth,  and  the  following  morning 
ran  over  to  Wuchang,  a  few  miles  above  and  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  my 
respects  to  the  Viceroy,  Cheng-Chi-Tung. 

Lui-Kun-Yu  and  Cheng-Chi-Tung  were  the  Vice 
roys  of  the  Yangtze  river  provinces  before  and  during 
the  Boxer  troubles.  To  them,  foreigners  of  all  nations 
owe  more  than  to  any  other  two  men  in  China.  Of 
great  ability,  force  of  character,  and  judgment,  they 
held  their  people  in  check,  prevented  any  outbreak,  and 
could  boast,  after  the  war  was  over,  that  not  an  out- 

185 


An  Admiral's  Log 

rage  had  been  perpetrated  in  all  the  land  under  their 
control.  I  hoped  to  visit  both  of  them  but  only  saw 
one.  Lui-Kun-Yu  died  while  we  were  up  the  river,  and 
our  flag  flew  at  half-mast  for  twenty-four  hours  in 
honour  of  his  memory. 

When  I  called  on  the  Viceroy  at  Wuchang  I  was 
received  in  great  state,  at  the  same  time  in  a  most 
friendly  spirit.  The  guard  to  receive  me  consisted  of  a 
battalion  of  infantry  equal  in  smartness  to  any  I  saw 
in  the  East  of  any  nationality.  Later  I  saw  a  part  of 
the  army,  inspected  the  men,  and  had  a  good  look 
at  them.  They  were  well  set  up,  well  uniformed, 
well  armed,  well  disciplined,  and  looked  as  if  they 
would  make  good  fighters.  All  told,  this  army  con 
sisted  of  about  twenty  thousand  effective,  efficient  men. 
Cheng-Chi-Tung's  course  during  the  Boxer  War  did 
not  meet  the  approval  of  her  Majesty  the  Empress 
Dowager,  and  when  the  trouble  was  over  she  sum 
moned  him  to  Pekin  with  the  idea,  probably,  of  inflict 
ing  some  punishment.  From  long  experience — he  was 
over  sixty  years  old — he  suspected  what  was  in  store 
for  him,  and,  instead  of  going,  replied  that  he  would 
come  later,  bringing  with  him  fifteen  thousand  men! 
Her  Majesty  did  not  wish  to  see  his  men  in  her  capital, 
he  did  not  wish  to  ascertain  either  the  depth  of  a  well, 
the  efficacy  of  an  opium  pill,  nor  the  strength  of  a 
silken  cord  in  the  hands  of  a  couple  of  court  eunuchs, 
so  the  visit  was  postponed  for  a  long  time.  Eventually 
I  met  him  in  Pekin,  and  shall  have  more  to  say  of  him 
in  connection  with  my  visit  to  that  wonderful  city. 

My  call  on  Cheng-Chi-Tung,  made  at  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  was  returned  the  same  afternoon  by 

186 


Viceroy  Cheng-Chi-Tung 

him.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  gorgeously  dressed 
suite,  himself  in  clothes  of  very  fine  material,  but  not  so 
ornate  as  his  suite.  We  received  him  with  all  the  hon 
ours  due  his  rank,  and  then  retired  to  the  cabin  for  tea 
and  talk.  The  custom  of  serving  tea  on  occasions  of 
ceremony  is  universal,  but,  unless  understood  and  prop 
erly  performed,  it  may  give  offence.  The  teacups  must 
be  of  a  certain  large  size,  with  covers  of  the  same  mate 
rial  and  design  as  the  cups,  so  that  they  look,  indeed, 
like  inverted  saucers.  The  tea  must  be  strong  and 
served  without  sugar  or  other  "  condiment."  When 
all  have  been  supplied,  the  host,  followed  by  his  guests, 
raises  the  cup  to  his  lips  with  both  hands,  tips  the  cover 
a  bit  with  the  forefingers,  drinks  about  half  the  con 
tents,  and  replaces  the  cup  on  the  table.  When  the 
guest  wishes  to  leave,  he  raises  his  cup  as  the  host  has 
done,  drinks  what  remains  in  the  cup,  and  takes  his 
departure.  If  the  host  takes  the  second  draught  of  tea 
without  waiting  for  his  guest  to  do  so,  it  is  a  signal  that 
he  wishes  to  terminate  the  interview,  and  so  it  may  be 
considered  an  insult. 

After  our  first  sip  of  tea  the  Viceroy,  the  most  pro 
gressive  of  all  Chinese,  explained  to  me  at  length  the 
construction  and  working  of  his  steel  plant,  blast  fur 
naces,  etc.  He  was  prepared  to  make  structural  steel  of 
fine  quality,  and  was  erecting  a  rail  mill  of  large  pro 
portions  for  the  manufacture  of  steel  rails  and  all  fin 
ished  products  to  come  from  raw  material  found  in 
China — iron  ore  and  coal.  Then  he  asked  me  if  I 
thought  paper  could  be  made  from  the  fibre  of  the  reeds 
which  grew  in  such  profusion  along  the  banks  of  the 
river  or  on  ground  not  used  for  cultivation.  I  had  ex- 

187 


An  Admiral's  Log 

amined  these  same  reeds  and  knew  that  they  contained 
a  fine,  strong  fibre  that  would  make  excellent  paper ;  so 
I  answered  that  I  thought  it  could — in  fact,  I  was  sure 
of  it.  For  more  than  an  hour  he  questioned  and  cross- 
questioned  me  on  this  subject :  how  were  the  reeds  to  be 
gathered;  to  what  treatment  were  they  then  to  be  sub 
jected;  how  was  the  fibre  to  be  extracted  and  how 
was  paper  to  be  made  from  it ;  what  kind  of  machinery 
would  be  necessary;  what  would  it  cost;  and,  finally, 
what  was  the  best  American  firm  to  order  it  from.  He 
certainly  kept  my  brains  well  stirred  up  for  an  hour  or 
more!  Fortunately  I  had  been  employed  in  construct 
ing  a  large  fibre-extracting  plant  years  before,  and 
could,  therefore,  answer  his  questions  with  some  degree 
of  intelligence.  In  discussing  his  steel  plant  I,  of 
course,  felt  quite  at  home.  During  the  entire  inter 
view  the  pipe-bearer  to  the  Viceroy  was  constantly  busy. 
Standing  behind  his  chair,  he  filled  the  long-stemmed 
pipe  and  passed  it  over  the  master's  shoulders.  The 
Viceroy  took  two  or  three  whiffs,  inhaled  the  smoke, 
passed  the  pipe  back,  and  the  dose  was  repeated.  When 
he  raised  his  cup,  swallowed  the  remaining  contents, 
shook  his  own  hands,  and  said  good-bye,  I  felt  that  I 
had  had  one  of  the  most  interesting  visits  possible. 

On  my  way  down  the  river  I  anchored  at  all  impor 
tant  points,  communicated  with  our  representatives,  and 
learned  what  I  could  of  conditions  generally.  The 
question  that  was  troubling  me  most  was  the  rescue  of 
our  missionaries  in  case  of  an  outbreak,  which  was 
threatening  because  of  the  death  of  Viceroy  Lui-Kun- 
Yu  and  the  assuming  by  Cheng-Chi-Tung  of  his  func 
tions  at  Nanking.  It  was  thought  by  many  that  the 

188 


At  Nanking 

unruly  element  would  take  advantage  of  this  occasion 
to  break  out  into  open  rioting,  murder  all  foreigners, 
and  kick  up  a  rumpus  generally. 

We  arrived  at  Wuhu  on  the  i4th  of  October,  and  at 
once  communicated  with  Dr.  Hart,  in  charge  of  the 
American  missionary  hospital  at  that  point,  and  ar 
ranged  with  him  to  receive  and  care  for  all  Americans 
and  other  foreigners  who  should  apply  to  him  in  case 
the  threatened  trouble  came.  The  position  of  the  hos 
pital  and  surrounding  buildings  was  such  that  I  could 
defend  them  with  a  small  landing  force  until  ships 
could  come  to  the  rescue.  I  sent  notices  to  all  the  mis 
sionaries  I  could  reach  of  this  plan,  and  requested  them 
to  start  at  once  for  the  rendezvous  when  they  felt  the 
time  had  come.  This  was  about  all  that  could  be  done 
at  that  time;  later  on  a  more  comprehensive  scheme 
was  devised  and  put  in  force. 

When  we  reached  Nanking  I  found  that  our  consul 
had  made  arrangements  for  me  to  call  on  the  acting 
Viceroy.  The  following  day,  accompanied  by  my  staff, 
I  went  to  the  city,  made  the  call,  and  was  received  with 
ceremony  and  cordiality.  The  Yamen  (residence  of 
the  Viceroy)  was  surrounded  by  a  large  body  of 
troops  and  crowded  with  Chinese  officials,  whose  faces 
clearly  indicated  that  they,  at  least,  had  heard  the 
rumours  of  trouble  to  come.  I  was  escorted  by  high 
officials  to  the  Yamen  of  the  late  Viceroy,  where  I 
placed  a  wreath  upon  his  coffin,  which  gave  great  satis 
faction  to  the  natives  present.  We  were  invited  to 
partake  of  luncheon  in  a  room  adjoining  the  one  in 
which  the  body  was  lying  in  state.  The  day  was  in 
tensely  hot,  we  were  in  our  special  full-dress  uniforms, 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

the  embalming  of  the  body  had  not  been  carefully  done, 
and  it  can  be  imagined  how  we  enjoyed  our  food!  Eti 
quette  required  that  we  should  not  remove  our  heavy 
chapeaux;  the  swarms  of  flies  buzzed  and  bit,  and  the 
odours  from  the  adjoining  room  filled  the  air;  but  eat 
we  must,  and  eat  we  did,  though  we  did  not  enjoy 
it.  It  was  a  great  relief  when  we  again  reached 
the  open  air,  dense  as  it  was  with  dust,  and  started  for 
home. 

In  the  harbour  of  Nanking  I  found  a  great  many 
junks  (Chinese  trading  vessels)  flying  the  American 
flag.  This  gave  them  a  great  advantage  over  vessels 
flying  the  Chinese  ensign  in  the  matter  of  duties  if  they 
traded  up  the  river.  Tao-Tais  of  the  different  provinces 
could  not  collect  duties  from  a  vessel  flying  our  flag, 
and  the  "  squeeze,"  which  often  amounted  to  as  much 
as  the  duty,  would  not  be  exacted  for  fear  of  the  con 
sequences  which  would  be  sure  to  follow.  It  seemed 
curious  that  so  many  Chinese  merchants  at  one  place 
could  be  entitled  to  the  protection  of  our  flag,  and  upon 
inquiry  of  our  consul — who  was  clean  and  honest,  one 
of  the  best  in  the  East — I  was  told  that  the  vessels  came 
from  Shanghai  and  had  secured  their  papers  from  the 
consulate  at  that  port.  I  requested  the  consul  to  notify 
each  of  the  vessels  that  I  would  start  an  investigation 
at  once  and  find  out  how  they  came  by  this  right;  if  I 
found  that  any  of  them  were  not  bona-fide  American 
citizens,  I  would  have  them  severely  punished.  Then 
most  of  the  flags  came  down!  Later  the  consul  at 
Shanghai  was  removed  for  various  offences  which 
could  not  pass  the  searching  scrutiny  of  Mr.  Pierce, 
Assistant  Secretary  of  State,  who  was  sent  out  to  inves- 

190 


American-China  Development  Co. 

tigate.    And  this  consul  was  not  the  only  one  who  came 
to  grief  in  the  same  way. 

It  was  very  important  that  we  should  have  a  good 
ship,  with  a  clear-headed  captain  in  command,  at  Nan 
king  when  the  new  Viceroy  took  office.  Captain  Inger- 
soll  was  the  man  for  the  duty — firm,  of  excellent  judg 
ment,  and,  above  all,  well  versed  in  treaty  rights  and 
obligations.  I  was  indeed  fortunate  in  having  such  an 
officer  commanding  a  ship  in  such  excellent  condition 
and  discipline  at  my  disposal.  That  the  Helena  might 
be  in  all  respects  ready  for  this  important  duty,  it  was 
necessary  that  I  should  get  back  to  Wusung  as  quickly 
as  possible.  Therefore,  on  the  I7th  of  October,  I  trans 
ferred  my  flag  again  to  the  Kentucky  and  sent  Captain 
Ingersoll  on  his  mission.  I  left  my  temporary  flagship 
with  regret.  Every  officer  and  man  on  board  of  her  had 
done  his  best  to  make  me  and  my  staff  comfortable  and 
to  give  us  a  good  time,  and  they  had  succeeded  to  my 
entire  satisfaction.  The  example  set  by  these  officers 
and  men  might  well  be  followed  by  others.  It  is  too 
often  felt  that  the  presence  of  a  flag  officer  on  board  is 
a  fit  occasion  to  show  him  how  unwelcome  he  is. 

During  my  stay  at  Wusung  I  obtained  from  various 
sources  the  details  of  the  most  important  American  in 
terest  at  that  time  in  this  section  of  China — the  conces 
sion  to  the  American-China  Development  Company, 
whose  agent,  a  brilliant  New  York  lawyer,  Mr.  Clar 
ence  Cary,  I  afterwards  met  and  had  the  pleasure  of 
entertaining.  An  old  acquaintance  of  mine,  I  had  made 
the  trip  across  the  Pacific  with  him  in  the  Gaelic,  and 
the  more  I  saw  of  him  the  greater  was  my  admiration 
for  his  remarkable  attainments. 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

The  concession  mentioned  above  had  been  granted 
the  previous  year  for  the  exclusive  right  to  construct 
a  railroad  from  Canton  to  Hankow,  a  distance  approxi 
mately  of  seven  hundred  miles.  Starting  from  Canton, 
the  road  was  to  follow  the  valley  of  the  Pehkiang  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles;  then  for  thirty  miles  over 
a  divide,  with  a  maximum  elevation  of  six  hundred  feet 
above  the  valley,  to  the  valley  of  the  Siang  River,  and 
to  follow  that  to  its  junction  with  the  Yangtze;  thence 
to  Wuchang,  opposite  Hankow.  The  route  thus  chosen 
lies  along  that  followed  by  the  Chinese  traders  between 
north  and  south  China  for  centuries  past,  and  along 
this  line  numerous  commercial  cities  have  grown  up  be 
cause  of  this  enormous  trade.  The  route  had  been 
surveyed  in  1896  and  1897,  but,  owing  to  the  disturb 
ances  in  the  interior  of  the  country  and  because  of  the 
Boxer  outbreak,  no  progress  was  made  until  about  one 
year  before  the  time  of  my  visit,  when  the  final  terms 
of  the  concession  were  ratified  by  the  Pekin  authorities. 

Under  the  concession,  the  road  was  to  be  of  broad 
gauge,  well  built,  and  completed  as  far  as  practicable 
within  three  years ;  the  company  to  start  with  a  paid-in 
capital  of  three  millions  of  dollars  gold,  authorised  to 
issue  bonds,  guaranteed  by  the  road  property,  to  the 
extent  of  forty  millions  gold,  bearing  five  per  cent  in 
terest.  The  concession  was  for  eighty  years;  at  the 
expiration  of  that  time  the  road  was  to  revert  to  the 
Chinese  government  upon  payment  of  the  market  value 
of  the  stock,  but  the  government  reserved  the  right  to 
purchase  it  upon  the  same  terms  at  any  time  after  forty 
years.  The  rolling  stock  and  material  for  building  the 
road  is  to  be  purchased  wherever  desired,  but  the  com- 

192 


The  Canton-Hankow  Railway 

pany  has  an  agreement  with  the  Belgian  Syndicate,  now 
engaged  in  building  a  railway  from  Hankow  to  Pekin, 
by  which  Belgium  is  to  be  given  preference  in  the  pur 
chase  of  material,  provided  it  cannot  be  bought  more 
advantageously  in  the  United  States. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing  the  American 
company  had  opened  offices  in  Shanghai  for  general 
management  of  its  affairs,  and  was  preparing  to  begin 
work  at  both  ends  of  the  line — Canton  and  Wuchung. 
The  management  was  to  be  entirely  in  the  hands  of 
Americans.  The  bonds  were  to  be  floated  abroad,  but 
the  Chinese  could  purchase  if  they  so  desired. 

Cheng-Chi-Tung,  as  I  have  before  stated,  was  Vice 
roy  of  the  Hunan  province.  He  was,  without  doubt, 
the  most  progressive  of  all  Chinese  officials,  and  deeply 
interested  in  the  completion  of  this  road.  By  it  he 
could  distribute  the  output  of  his  various  mills  through 
out  its  entire  length.  He  issued  proclamations  to  the 
local  mandarins  along  the  line  to  be  followed  to  fur 
nish  all  labour  desired,  and  to  afford  every  assistance 
to  the  engineers  engaged  in  the  work. 

The  route  of  the  road  lies  through  the  richest  and 
most  populous  part  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  and  was  the 
first  step  toward  bringing  the  enormous  wealth  of  the 
interior  cities  into  touch  with  shipping  centres.  The 
natural  deposits  of  iron,  coal,  and  other  minerals  are 
supposed  to  be  very  valuable,  and  the  company  was 
granted  the  right  to  construct  and  run  branch  lines  to 
any  mines  which  might  be  found  along  its  course. 

On  the  whole,  it  may  be  confidently  said  that  this 
concession,  with  its  attendant  privileges,  was  the  most 
valuable  yet  granted  by  the  Chinese  government  to  the 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

people  of  any  country,  and  if  carried  out  as  then  in 
tended  it  would  greatly  enhance  American  importance 
and  prestige  in  the  East.  Upon  the  completion  of  this 
line  and  that  under  construction  of  the  Belgian  Syn 
dicate  from  Hankow  to  Pekin,  Canton  and  Southern 
China  will  be  placed  in  direct  railway  communication, 
via  Pekin  and  the  English  line,  to  Shan  Hai  Kwan, 
and  the  Manchurian  lines,  through  Newchwang  and 
the  Trans-Siberian  line,  with  western  Europe. 

All  information  about  this  concession  was  of  great 
interest  to  me  for  many  reasons,  mainly  because  I  felt 
sure  that  sooner  or  later  I  should  be  called  upon  to 
protect,  maybe  to  rescue,  the  foreigners  engaged  in 
construction  work  which  was  to  be  under  American 
management.  To  avoid  passing  through  graveyards, 
which  cover  a  wonderful  amount  of  territory  in  China, 
the  projected  road  would  have  to  be  very  crooked,  in 
volving  much  additional  expense,  which,  I  was  sure, 
the  management  did  not  contemplate.  If  run  through 
these  graveyards,  I  was  sure  that  serious  trouble  would 
follow,  for  the  Chinese  hold  the  graveyards  of  their 
people  as  very  sacred,  and  will  not  allow  them  to  be  in 
terfered  with.  It  was  not  long  before  my  views  proved 
correct.  A  working  party  began  cutting  through  a 
graveyard;  and  to  avoid  it  meant  going  many  miles 
out  of  their  way  or  removing  the  bodies  interred  there 
to  a  new  location.  Friction  was  the  result,  and  a  gun 
boat,  with  a  determined  officer  in  command,  reached 
the  point  with  great  difficulty  in  time  to  rescue  the 
party.  There  was  no  large  river  reaching  far  into  the 
country,  and  navigation  through  the  canals  and  small 
streams  was  most  difficult. 

194 


CHAPTER   XVII 

IN    COMMAND   OF   THE   ASIATIC   STATION 

MY  work  at  Wusung  completed,  I  hurried  back  to 
Yokohama  to  meet  the  commander-in-chief,  who  had 
notified  me  that  I  was  to  relieve  him.  On  October  2pth 
the  New  York  flew  the  signal,  "  By  direction  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  I  turn  over  to  you  the  com 
mand  of  the  Asiatic  station,"  tripped  her  anchor,  broke 
out  her  long  homeward-bound  pennant,  and  sailed  for 
San  Francisco.  There  was  much  cheering,  band  play 
ing,  and  saluting  as  Admiral  Rodgers  passed  out  to  sea. 
He  had  been  a  most  popular  commander-in-chief.  The 
men  of  the  fleet  knew  that  he  was  my  cherished  per 
sonal  friend,  which  led  to  the  ships  being  what  we  call 
"  chum  ships."  There  was  much  good  feeling  between 
the  crews  of  the  two  flagships,  for  men,  as  a  rule,  fol 
low  the  example  set  by  their  officers.  If  they  are 
"  chummy,"  then  the  crews  are  the  same. 

The  order  giving  me  command  of  the  entire  station 
more  than  doubled  the  work  and  responsibility,  which 
I  had  found  quite  sufficient  as  squadron  commander, 
but  the  promotion  was  what  I  had  been  looking  for,  and 
I  was  more  than  willing  to  undertake  what  it  brought 
with  it.  The  records  of  the  station  were  transferred  to 
the  Kentucky,  and  I  spent  many  days  and  nights,  as 
sisted  by  my  staff,  making  myself  familiar  with  all  that 

195 


An  Admiral's  Log 

had  taken  place  on  the  station,  particularly  in  the  Phil 
ippine  division.  I  issued  the  order  assuming  com 
mand,  notified  all  our  diplomatic  and  consular  agents 
and  all  foreign  commanders,  and  prepared  for  hard 
work. 

Of  the  many  important  matters  turned  over  to  me 
by  the  late  commander-in-chief,  one  required  immediate 
and  close  attention.  The  Navy  Department  had  or 
dered  that  all  available  ships  on  the  station  be  assem 
bled  at  Manila  during  the  winter  for  extensive  fleet 
work  and  manoeuvres;  but  the  character  of  the  work 
and  the  extent  of  the  manoeuvres  were  left  for  me  to 
determine.  I  was  entirely  in  accord  with  the  depart 
ment,  recognising  the  absolute  necessity  for  the  exer 
cises  they  had  ordered.  As  a  preliminary,  I  directed 
all  the  ships  of  the  northern  squadron,  including  the 
monitors  Monterey  and  Monadnock,  to  proceed  to 
Amoy,  China,  where  I  would  give  them  a  few  lessons 
23  fleet  work  before  sailing  for  the  south.  The  two 
monitors  had  remained  at  anchor  so  long  that  the  pro 
priety  of  sending  them  to  sea  was  doubtful,  for  they 
might  meet  with  some  serious  trouble  because  of  the 
lack  of  experience  of  their  engine-room  forces.  The 
best  way  to  determine  this,  and  many  other  things  as 
well,  was  to  send  them  to  sea  and  keep  them  there  a 
reasonable  time  for  practice.  They  went  when  ordered, 
arrived  at  Amoy  in  due  time,  did  their  work,  and  re 
turned  to  their  stations  much  improved  by  their  cruise. 
Neither  of  them  could  go  to  Manila ;  one  had  to  remain 
at  Shanghai  as  guardship,  the  other  at  Canton,  where 
the  turbulent  population  was  constantly  threatening  to 
make  trouble  for  all  foreign  residents. 

196 


Order  for  Torpedo  Practice 

A  large  number  of  officers — all  services  had  such — 
believed  implicitly  in  the  value  of  torpedo  boats,  and 
thought,  or  pretended  to  think,  that  these  much-talked- 
of  terrors  of  the  sea  could  destroy  any  battleship  afloat 
without  serious  risk  to  themselves.  I  was  not  in  this 
school,  and  did  not  believe  then,  nor  do  I  now,  that  a 
fleet  of  battleships  is  in  serious  danger  from  this  cause 
if  proper  precautions  are  taken  and  the  battleship  men 
can  use  their  guns  with  accuracy.  A  ship  will  occasion 
ally  be  destroyed  by  torpedo  boats  or  submarines — a 
man  will  occasionally  slip  on  a  banana  peel  and  break 
his  neck.  We  may  look  for  such  accidents,  but  there 
won't  be  many  of  them.  We  had  no  torpedo  boats 
to  practise  with,  and  a  substitute  had  to  be  pro 
vided,  for  I  fully  intended  to  find  out,  if  I  could, 
just  how  effective  the  fire  of  a  battleship  would  prove 
against  an  attacking  boat.  I  quote  the  following 
order  issued  at  that  time  to  show  how  I  meant  to 
carry  out  this  intention.  I  believe  we  were  the  first  in 
all  the  navies  of  the  world  to  conduct  such  an  experi 
ment: 

FLAGSHIP  KENTUCKY, 
YOKOHAMA,  JAPAN,  October  31,  1902. 

SIR: 

i.  For  use  as  a  towing  target  during  the  prospective 
manoeuvres  of  the  fleet  you  will  please  have  constructed 
and  ready  for  service  on  my  arrival  a  suitable  target 
upon  the  following  general  lines : 

A  condemned  sailing  launch,  or  other  large  boat,  to 
be  built  up  to  resemble  as  nearly  as  possible  a  thwart- 
ship  section  of  a  torpedo  boat,  with  a  light  wood  or 
cork  filling,  in  order  to  ensure  her  floating  as  high  out 
of  the  water  as  possible  after  being  struck  a  number  of 
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An  Admiral's  Log 

times,  all  to  be  covered  with  canvas  and  painted  the 
dull  black  torpedo  colour. 

2.  I  desire  that  the  target,  when  towed,  should  re 
semble  as  closely  as  practicable  a  torpedo  boat  coming 
bow  on  to  make  an  attack,  and  I  leave  the  details  of 
building  up  the  target  to  your  judgment  as  to  the  most 
suitable  manner  from  the  materials  to  be  had. 

Respectfully, 
(Signed)     R.  D.  EVANS. 

This  order  was  sent  to  Rear-Admiral  Wildes,  com 
manding  the  southern  squadron.  The  target  was  built 
by  Captain  Couden  at  the  Cavite  naval  station,  and  its 
fate  will  be  given  later  on.  Orders  were  sent  at  the 
same  time  to  prepare  gun  platforms  for  the  four-inch 
guns  of  the  Princeton  and  Annapolis,  as  I  intended  to 
land  them  to  provide  defence  for  a  temporary  advanced 
base  in  the  contemplated  drills. 

The  question  of  how  our  officers  should  dress  for 
dinner  had  caused  much  discussion  in  the  service,  par 
ticularly  on  the  Asiatic  station.  In  all  other  navies  a 
"  mess  dress  "  was  prescribed  and  worn.  We  were  re 
quired  to  provide  ourselves  with  evening  uniform  and 
mess  jackets,  but  it  was  not  imperative  that  we  should 
use  them  except  when  signal  was  made  to  that  effect. 
The  desirability  of  having  all  officers  appear  in  a  neat 
and  comfortable  uniform  at  dinner  was  so  evident  that 
I  issued  an  order  on  the  subject,  which  I  give  here.  It 
will  prove  of  interest  to  naval  readers,  since  it  shows 
the  first  official  order  on  the  subject.  The  matter  was 
later  settled  by  the  incorporation  into  the  Naval  Regu 
lations  of  an  order  to  the  same  effect.  A  few  officers 
held  the  opinion  that  the  commander-in-chief  could  not 


Order  for  Dinner  Uniform 

legally  compel  them  to  appear  for  their  meals  in  any 
particular  uniform.  One  of  these  took  his  dinner  in 
his  room  for  several  days  after  the  order  was  given, 
then  quietly  did  as  he  was  told.  A  few  days  later, 
when  the  ship  was  coaling,  word  was  passed  that  offi 
cers  would  not  dress  for  dinner  that  day,  whereupon 
this  same  officer  was  heard  to  say,  "  I  can't  see  why 
coaling  ship  should  prevent  me  from  dressing  like  a 
gentleman  for  my  dinner ! "  Officers  will  growl  as 
well  as  enlisted  men. 

FLAGSHIP  KENTUCKY, 
YOKOHAMA,  JAPAN,  November  3,  1902. 
Fleet  General  Order  No.  4. 

The  uniform  for  dinner  for  all  commissioned  offi 
cers  and  midshipmen  on  the  station,  except  those  at 
tached  to  the  small  gunboats  having  only  one  or  two 
line  officers  on  boardj  shall  be  either  evening  dress  or 
mess  jackets. 

The  designation  of  the  particular  uniform  is  left  to 
the  commanding  officer,  but  either  one  or  the  other 
must  be  worn  at  dinner. 

(Signed)     R.  D.  EVANS, 
Rear-Admiral  U.  S.  Navy, 
Commander-in-Chief  U.  S.  Naval 
Force  on  Asiatic  Station. 

All  the  ships  on  the  station,  except  the  small  gun 
boats  in  the  Philippines,  were  assembled  at  Amoy  at  the 
end  of  November.  Gun  pointers  were  constantly  firing 
with  the  ping-pong  machines.  Boat  drills  were  held 
daily,  and  men  were  landed  for  shore  drills  in  a  large 
field,  the  use  of  which  had  been  secured  by  our  consul. 
In  a  word,  preliminary  drills  of  all  kinds  were  constant, 
and  the  good  effect  was  seen  at  once.  I  had  made  up 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

my  mind  that  we  must  have  more  athletics  for  the  men, 
and  issued  orders  on  the  subject.  Part  of  each  day 
must  be  devoted  to  that  sort  of  work.  When  the  drills 
were  over  the  men  were  landed  at  a  point  convenient 
to  the  athletic  field,  and  for  two  hours  baseball,  foot 
ball,  and  track  athletics  were  indulged  in.  It  was  nec 
essary  that  the  officers  and  men  should  work  hard  at 
their  drills  on  board  ship;  it  was  also  of  great  impor 
tance  that  they  should  be  kept  in  proper  condition  by 
playing  hard  on  shore.  "  To  be  more  ready  to  fight," 
as  the  President  directed,  involved  something  besides 
hard  work  at  the  guns.  This  something  was  proper 
physical  training,  and  to  give  it  to  the  crews  in  some 
pleasant  way  was  my  object.  It  is  easy  to  work  men 
until  they  are  discontented  and  unhappy,  and  nearly  as 
easy  to  make  them  do  the  same  amount  of  work,  some 
of  it  in  the  shape  of  play,  and  have  them  in  excellent 
condition,  if  one  knows  how  to  do  it. 

A  regatta  was  arranged  for  winding  up  our  work 
at  Amoy ;  sailing  races  and  pulling  races  for  all  classes 
of  boats,  manned  by  different  classes  of  men — seamen, 
marines,  and  engine-room  crews.  This  was  made  more 
interesting  by  the  fact  that  the  British  battleship  Goli 
ath,  commanded  by  Captain  Henderson,  an  old  friend 
of  mine,  had  anchored  in  the  harbour,  and  her  officers 
and  crew  were  anxious  to  join  in  our  sports.  They  were 
handicapped  in  pulling  races  because  their  boats  were 
so  much  heavier  than  ours.  To  remove  this  drawback 
and  give  them  a  fair  chance  to  win,  I  requested  them 
to  select  such  of  our  boats  as  they  fancied,  which  they 
did,  and  the  boats  were  turned  over  to  them  for  a  week 
or.  more,  that  they  might  practise  in  them.  The  races 

200 


Island  of  Formosa 

were  finely  contested,  but  our  English  friends  failed  to 
win  in  any  of  them  except  the  sailing  ones,  in  which 
the  superiority  of  their  boats  was  manifest.  The  sail 
ing  barge  of  the  Kentucky,  the  admiral's  boat,  was  de 
cidedly  the  smartest  boat  of  all  under  sail.  I  had  pur 
chased  a  set  of  racing  sails  for  her  in  Yokohama,  and 
Lieutenant  Evans  handled  her  in  such  a  seamanlike 
manner  that  she  easily  led  the  large  fleet  of  boats.  She 
was  never  beaten  in  a  sailing  race  either  on  that  station 
or  at  home  until  her  rig  was  changed.  The  Amoy  re 
gatta  started  a  spirit  of  sport  which  continued  during 
our  stay  in  Eastern  waters,  and  contributed  largely  to 
the  excellent  physical  condition  of  our  crews. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  war  between  Japan  and 
China  the  former  country  had  demanded  the  cession  of 
the  island  of  Formosa.  China,  unable  to  resist  the 
demand,  had  yielded,  and  the  island,  with  its  wild  and 
savage  tribes,  had  passed  from  under  the  Dragon  flag. 
From  its  geographical  position  it  was  a  most  valuable 
base  for  operations  against  any  part  of  the  coast  of 
China,  particularly  so  at  Amoy,  which  was  in  about 
the  same  latitude  and  only  a  short  distance  away. 
When  this  change  of  ownership  took  place  we  were 
looking  for  a  coaling  station  in  that  vicinity,  and  the 
Chinese  government,  aware  of  our  friendly  feeling,  was 
in  favour  of  giving  us  one.  The  story  is  told  that  the 
governor  of  Amoy  province  asked  a  naval  commander 
of  our  service  to  hoist  our  flag  and  take  possession  of 
the  harbour  of  Amoy,  saying  that  no  resistance  would 
be  made,  and  that  the  question  of  Japan  ever  seizing  it 
would  be  settled !  Had  such  an  offer  been  made  to,  let 
us  say,  a  German  or  a  French  naval  officer,  what  would 

201 


An  Admiral's  Log 

have  been  the  result?  Our  man  had  to  report  the  mat 
ter  to  Washington,  which  he  no  doubt  did,  but  nothing 
came  of  it.  If  Mr.  Theodore  Roosevelt  had  been  Presi 
dent,  I  think  we  should  have  acquired  a  coaling  station 
at  Amoy.  Such  stations  are,  in  some  respects,  as  im 
portant  as  an  interoceanic  canal!  No  one  can  doubt 
what  the  result  would  have  been  had  such  an  offer  been 
made  to  one  of  the  foreign  officers  I  have  mentioned. 

Formosa  is  valuable  for  two  reasons  only:  she  has 
a  wonderful  climate  for  tea  raising,  and  she  has  great 
strategic  value  as  a  military  base.  Whether  these  are 
of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant  the  expenditure  of 
blood  and  money  they  have  cost  is  a  question  for 
Japan  to  consider,  but  I  think  we  may  assume  with 
out  fear  of  contradiction  that  either  Germany  or  France 
would  be  glad  of  the  bargain  at  many  times  the  price 
Japan  paid. 

Before  going  to  Manila  it  was  necessary  that  the  Ken 
tucky  should  be  docked  and  have  her  bottom  painted. 
Hong  Kong  was  the  only  place  where  this  could  be 
done,  and  I  therefore  ran  down  to  that  port,  taking 
with  me  most  of  the  vessels  assembled  at  Amoy.  It 
was  my  desire  to  meet,  personally,  the  officer  in  com 
mand  of  the  English  fleet,  Vice-Admiral  Sir  Cyprian 
A.  C.  Bridge,  who  had  courteously  offered  me  the  use 
of  the  buoys  in  man-of-war  anchorage  when  not  in  use 
by  his  own  ships.  I  arrived  on  December  3d,  had  my 
interview  with  Sir  Cyprian,  made  the  numerous  calls 
necessary  at  this  important  port,  and  then  placed  the 
Kentucky  in  dock.  During  the  next  two  years  I  saw 
this  British  admiral  and  his  officers  on  many  occasions. 
I  came  to  know  them  well,  and  with  some  of  them 

202 


At  Canton 

formed  lasting  friendships,  and  received  from  them 
the  kindness  and  courtesy  they  always  extend  to  men 
of  our  service.  I  cannot  overstate  my  admiration  for 
them.  Admiral  Bridge,  justly  esteemed  one  of  the 
leaders  in  his  profession,  though  a  very  busy  man  with 
the  great  responsibilities  of  his  command,  always  had 
time  to  receive  a  visit  from  me  and  listen  to  any  sug 
gestion  I  had  to  make  with  reference  to  matters  in 
which  we  were  jointly  concerned.  My  relations  with 
him  and  his  gallant  comrades  were  such  as  to  increase 
the  friendly  feeling  existing,  which  I  sincerely  hope 
will  always  continue  between  our  two  countries. 

During  the  time  my  flagship  was  in  dock  I  again 
transferred  to  the  Helena,  she  having  returned  from 
her  important  mission  at  Nanking,  and  ran  up  to  Can 
ton  to  see  for  myself  what  the  conditions  were  at  that 
important  point.  The  air  was  full  of  rumours  of  ap 
proaching  trouble ;  riots  and  bloodshed  were  anticipated 
on  all  sides,  and  I  was  curious  to  find  out  how  much 
foundation  there  really  was  for  all  the  excitement  and 
unrest  that  existed.  I  hurried  one  of  the  monitors 
back  to  the  city  and  had  her  moored  where  her  heavy 
guns  would  afford  the  greatest  amount  of  protection  to 
the  residents  of  the  foreign  quarter.  Many  years  be 
fore  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing,  the  Chinese  gov 
ernment  had  granted  "  Shameen,"  an  island  formed  by 
the  river  and  a  large  canal,  to  foreigners  as  a  place  of 
residence,  and  here  they  were  settled  in  handsome 
houses  provided  by  their  different  governments.  The 
only  communication  between  Shameen  and  the  great 
city  of  Canton  was  by  means  of  a  wide  bridge  over  the 
canal,  and  this  was  controlled  by  heavy  gates  at  either 

203 


An  Admiral's  Log 

end,  always  closed  at  night.  As  additional  precaution, 
this  bridge  and  the  canal,  for  the  whole  length  of  the 
island,  were  under  control  of  the  guns  of  different 
foreign  ships,  ours  being  the  largest  of  them  all. 

Our  consul  had  made  the  necessary  preparations  for 
a  visit  of  ceremony  to  the  Viceroy,  which  I  made  under 
guard  of  Chinese  soldiers.  As  we  passed  through  the 
narrow,  crowded,  filthy  streets  I  was  aware  of  many 
scowling  faces,  but  beyond  this  there  was  no  unfriendly 
demonstration.  The  Viceroy  was  most  friendly  and 
gracious  in  his  reception,  but  plainly  worried  over  the 
situation,  yet  somewhat  relieved,  I  thought,  when  I  as 
sured  him  that  all  foreigners  would  be  amply  protected 
in  case  of  trouble.  His  anxiety  about  his  own  fate  was 
also  evident,  and  the  only  comfort  I  could  give  him  on 
this  point  was  that  if  he  went  on  board  of  our  ship  he 
would  be  out  of  harm's  way.  Our  consul  was  regarded 
by  the  American  contingent  on  Shameen  as  a  person 
who  did  not  reflect  much  credit  on  our  government,  but 
every  one  said,  "  If  you  want  anything  from  the  Vice 
roy,  the  consul  can  get  it."  During  my  interview  with 
him  it  was  apparent  to  me  that  the  consul  had  un 
bounded  influence,  but  why  this  was  so  I  could  not  dis 
cover.  When  our  consulates  were  inspected  by  Mr. 
Pierce  this  man  was  removed  and  did  not  succeed  in 
getting  himself  reinstated,  though  he  used  the  newspa 
pers  widely  and  brought  much  political  influence  to  bear 
on  the  President. 

As  the  Viceroy  was  most  confident  of  the  loyalty  of 
his  troops,  I  did  not  see  just  how  there  could  be  any 
serious  trouble  unless  somebody  imported  arms  for  the 
proposed  insurgents.  If  this  importation  was  stopped, 

204 


From  Hong  Kong  to  Manila 

the  uprising  would  not  materialise.  Therefore,  to  stop 
it  was  the  most  important  thing.  I  had  heard  of  vice 
roys  and  others  high  in  authority  who  had  been  en 
gaged  in  just  this  kind  of  business,  so  I  did  not  discuss 
the  subject  with  him,  but  I  did  instruct  an  officer  to 
watch  carefully  the.  freight  receipts  from  Hong  Kong 
and  to  let  me  know  if  any  considerable  number  of  guns 
came  in  and  to  whom  they  were  consigned.  A  few 
weeks  later  a  steamer  load  of  cement  in  barrels  came 
along.  When  opened,  the  barrels  were  found  to  con 
tain  Mauser  rifles,  very  carefully  packed.  That  partic 
ular  revolution  ended  then  and  there! 

Upon  my  return  to  Hong  Kong,  all  repair  work 
being  completed,  I  sailed  with  the  assembled  vessels  for 
Cavite,  where  I  anchored  on  December  i8th.  The 
passage  over  was  very  rough  for  the  smaller  ships,  but 
by  running  at  slow  speed  they  managed  to  escape  seri 
ous  injury. 

Long  before  my  arrival  the  commander  of  the 
southern  division  had  been  advised  of  the  general 
nature  of  the  contemplated  manoeuvres,  and  had  di 
rected  all  the  vessels  of  his  division  to  be  in  readiness 
to  move  promptly.  Above  all  else,  I  wanted  to  know 
just  how  fast  each  ship  could  steam  and  how  long  she 
could  maintain  her  maximum  speed.  Commanding  of 
ficers  were  directed  to  report  on  this  point,  and  when 
they  had  done  so  I  was  surprised  and  pleased  to  hear 
that  the  slowest  vessel  on  the  station  could  make  eleven 
knots  and  keep  up  that  speed  for  twenty-four  hours  at 
least.  My  feelings  can  be  better  imagined  than  de 
scribed  when  I  found  by  actual  test  that  most  of  them 
could  make  about  eight  knots,  and  no  more ! 

205 


An  Admiral's  Log 

On  the  passage  from  Hong  Kong  the  gunboats 
Helena  and  Wilmington  had  threshed  about  in  the 
heavy  sea  which  boarded  them  constantly,  threatening 
to  tear  their  masts  out  and  sweep  their  upper  decks. 
Passing  in  through  the  passage  now  so  famous  by 
Dewey's  daring  act  on  a  certain  -May  morning,  we 
anchored  off  the  navy  yard  at  Cavite.  The  American 
flag  was  flying  over  the  station;  off  in  the  distance  we 
could  see  it  also  floating  over  the  forts  about  the  city  of 
Manila.  It  caused  a  curious  sensation  to  see  our  be 
loved  flag  displayed  over  this  foreign,  tropical  city,  and 
I  am  not  sure  that  I  did  not  feel  that  it  was  out  of  place. 
However,  there  it  was;  it  had  cost  many  valuable  lives 
to  put  it  there,  and  it  would  cost  many  more  before  it 
could  ever  come  down. 

A  large  number  of  troops  were  in  and  about  the 
city,  quartered  in  such  buildings  as  could  be  secured, 
or  else  under  canvas.  Others  were  scattered  about  the 
other  islands,  garrisoning  such  points  as  were  consid 
ered  of  importance  in  the  general  scheme  of  reducing 
to  order  the  recently  rebellious  population  and  keeping 
the  peace.  Among  the  troops  so  employed  were  eight 
hundred  or  a  thousand  officers  and  men  of  the  United 
States  marine  corps,  divided  into  small  guards  sta 
tioned  at  various  points  in  the  country  about  Manila 
and  Cavite.  As  the  government  of  the  islands  had 
passed  into  civil  hands,  these  soldiers  could  not  do  any 
military  duty  unless  called  upon  to  do  so  by  some  civil 
officer;  they  could  not,  in  fact,  of  their  own  volition 
stop  the  ladrones  from  stealing  cattle  in  broad  daylight 
and  plain  sight.  The  Insurrectos,  who,  under  the  lead 
ership  of  Aguinaldo,  had  fought  our  soldiers,  were 

206 


With  Governor  Taft 

now  changed  into  ladrones,  and  must  be  dealt  with  by 
the  civil  authorities,  who  in  many  cases  had  been  lead 
ers  under  the  first  named  and  were  in  sympathy  with 
the  last.  It  was  a  condition  of  affairs  requiring  great 
judgment  and  foresight  to  prevent  serious  trouble. 
Fortunately  for  us,  Governor  Taft  was  at  the  helm  in 
Manila,  and  gave  to  the  solution  of  the  problem  his 
untiring  energy.  As  long  as  the  marines  could  do  their 
proper  duty  as  soldiers,  suppress  disorder,  and  prevent 
robberies,  I  was  perfectly  willing  to  have  them  so  em 
ployed,  and,  indeed,  was  glad  to  have  them  doing  such 
good  work.  When  I  found,  however,  that  they  were 
being  demoralised  by  drinking  bino,  and  really  had  no 
duties  to  perform,  I  decided  to  call  them  all  in,  put  them 
in  camp  under  a  competent  officer,  and  hold  them  in 
readiness  for  service  in  China  or  Korea,  where  I  was 
sure  they  would  soon  be  required. 

When  I  had  explained  the  situation  to  Governor 
Taft,  he  agreed  with  me  that  the  proposed  plan  should 
be  carried  out,  and  the  necessary  orders  were  issued. 
Then  came  a  protest,  signed  by  many,  stating  that  I 
was  endangering  the  safety  of  the  peaceful  popula 
tion  by  taking  the  marines  away.  But  as  I  was  con 
vinced  that  most  of  the  so-called  peaceful  population 
were,  in  reality,  ladrones,  and  only  wanted  the  men 
kept  on  the  stations  that  they  might  get  as  much  money 
out  of  them  as  possible,  I  paid  no  attention  to  the  pro 
tests.  A  fine  camp  was  established  at  Olongapo  under 
command  of  Major  Karmany,  where  the  men  were 
kept  under  strict  discipline.  They  were  contented  and 
happy,  and  a  finer  lot  of  soldiers  I  never  saw.  When  a 
sudden  call  came  for  one  hundred  men  to  go  to  Seoul 

207 


An  Admiral's  Log 

they  were  off  in  four  hours,  fully  equipped  and  with 
ample  provisions  and  ammunition. 

Manila,  at  this  time,  was  not  a  pleasant  place  to 
visit.  There  was  but  one  hotel,  and  that  very  small  and 
ill-kept.  Transportation  about  the  city  was  by  means 
of  carriages — poor,  dilapidated  -vehicles,  for  which  one 
had  to  pay  ridiculously  high  rates.  There  were  no 
street-car  lines,  and  the  streets  were  so  badly  paved 
that  driving  about  them  was  no  pleasure.  If  we  ven 
tured  out  of  the  city,  we  were  likely  to  be  murdered 
by  the  natives,  who  hated  us  and  our  rule  worse  than 
they  ever  hated  the  Spaniards.  Our  people  had  done 
wonders  in  the  way  of  cleaning  and  making  sani 
tary  the  nasty  place,  but  the  odours  that  assailed  one 
on  every  hand  showed  how  much  was  still  to  be  done 
in  that  line.  The  officers  of  the  army  could  and  did 
spend  much  of  their  time  in  the  Army  and  Navy  Club, 
where  there  was  good  cheer  and  comfort,  as  compared 
with  the  rest  of  the  city,  but  we  of  the  navy  were  so 
far  away  that  we  could  not  often  enjoy  this  luxury. 
We  had  to  remain  on  board  our  ships  and  endure  the 
smells  that  came  from  the  foul  water  about  us.  This 
water  was  so  full  of  phosphorus  that  after  bathing  in  it 
for  a  few  days  in  succession  we  could  taste  it  on  our 
skins,  and  the  smell  of  it  nauseated  many.  After  I  had 
completed  my  round  of  official  calls  I  rarely  ever  vis 
ited  the  city;  I  was  too  busily  occupied  with  the  duties 
of  the  fleet  and  lived  on  my  flagship.  I  am,  therefore, 
well  posted  in  the  matter  of  the  discomforts  officers  had 
to  endure.  Cholera  was  raging  all  over  the  islands,  and 
provisions  were  expensive  and  difficult  to  obtain.  We 
lived  almost  entirely  from  tins  which  we  had  brought 

208 


Tactical  Work 

with  us  from  Hong  Kong.  Fortunately  we  had  a  re 
frigerating  ship  which  supplied  us  with  excellent  fresh 
meat  from  Australia. 

To  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  Navy  Department  as 
far  as  possible  in  the  matter  of  drills,  and  at  the  same 
time  keep  up  the  current  work  of  the  station,  I  organ 
ised  a  fleet  of  twenty  vessels  in  order  to  secure  tactical 
evolutions  of  real  value.  In  addition  to  such  tactical 
work  as  could  be  done  with  this  force,  I  laid  out  a 
scheme  covering  the  kind  of  practical  service  we  might 
most  likely  be  called  upon  to  render.  This  contem 
plated  the  seizure  of  an  advanced  base,  with  necessary 
defence — mines  and  batteries — to  protect  the  fleet 
against  a  superior  naval  force  until  re-enforcements 
could  arrive  from  home.  Olongapo  was  designated  as 
the  place  to  be  seized,  and  Subig  Bay,  in  which  the  fleet 
would  be  anchored,  the  body  of  water  to  be  held.  The 
general  board  in  Washington  had  succeeded,  after  a 
long  struggle,  in  having  a  few  of  the  articles  necessary 
for  such  a  movement  sent  to  Cavite,  but  most  of  them 
had  to  be  improvised  in  the  fleet.  We  had  neither 
mines  nor  torpedoes,  and  only  a  few  small  guns  suitable 
to  mount  for  the  defence  of  the  mine  fields  after  the 
mines  had  been  planted.  However  short  we  might  be 
in  material,  we,  nevertheless,  had  the  desire  to  do  what 
was  required  of  us.  We  did  the  best  we  could,  not  only 
with  the  tools  furnished,  but  with  all  those  we  could 
make  ourselves. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

PRACTICE   DRILLS    AT    SUBIG   BAY 

THE  day  after  Christmas,  1902,  I  started  from 
Manila  Bay  with  the  fleet  of  twenty  ships  to  begin  our 
practice.  Of  all  the  fleets  that  ever  weighed  anchor, 
this  was  undoubtedly  the  most  ill-assorted.  A  twelve- 
thousand-ton  battleship,  the  Kentucky,  my  flagship,  was 
at  the  head  of  the  column ;  then  a  cruiser,  the  New  Or 
leans  ;  then  two  gunboats,  the  Helena  and  Wilmington ; 
then  four  gunboats  of  the  Vicksburg  class;  followed 
by  twelve  vessels,  most  of  them  captured  from  the 
Spanish,  and  to  which  it  would  be  hard  to  give  names. 
The  last  one  in  the  column  was  a  gunboat  of  about  fifty 
tons !  The  idea  of  doing  much  with  such  a  heterogene 
ous  fleet,  in  a  tactical  sense,  was  out  of  the  question. 
Their  appearance  was  grotesque.  Before  we  had  been 
steaming  one  hour  the  speed  had  to  be  reduced  to  allow 
some  of  the  smaller  ones  to  keep  in  position,  and  before 
the  second  hour  was  completed  four  or  five  of  them 
were  being  towed  by  the  larger  gunboats. 

In  the  afternoon  we  approached  the  entrance  to 
Subig  Bay.  The  Kentucky  manoeuvred  to  cover  the 
smaller  vessels  as  they  ran  in  before  a  supposed  supe 
rior  naval  force.  When  the  last  one  was  safely  inside, 
Captain  Stockton  planted  a  double  row  of  mines  across 
the  entrance  and  anchored  in  position  to  defend  this 

210 


Mines  and  Countermines 

mine  field  until  batteries  could  be  erected  for  that  pur 
pose.  The  handling  of  my  flagship  during  this  manoeu 
vre  was  such  as  to  bring  from  all  who  saw  it  unstinted 
praise.  Captain  Stockton  showed  his  ability  as  an  able 
and  accomplished  seaman.  In  less  than  one  hour  both 
entrances  to  the  bay  were  so  mined  that  an  enemy 
would  not  attempt  to  force  an  entrance  until  a  channel 
had  been  cleared  by  exploding  or  removing  a  number 
of  the  mines.  To  prevent  this  until  the  shore  batteries 
had  been  constructed  was  the  business  of  the  fleet;  and 
to  it  we  bent  our  energies. 

Grande  Island,  at  the  entrance  to  the  bay,  was  the 
key  to  the  position.  Behind  the  high  points  of  this 
island,  and  protected  by  them  from  the  fire  of  the  ene 
my's  ships,  I  anchored  enough  ships  to  keep  boats  from 
successfully  countermining.  The  boats  of  all  the  ships, 
except  the  guardships,  attempted  every  night  to  destroy 
the  mines,  Umpires  were  appointed  and  rules  pub 
lished,  so  that  these  attacks  might  be  as  realistic  as  pos 
sible. 

If  a  boat  was  detected  approaching  the  mine  field, 
or  while  actually  on  it,  the  guardship  opened  fire,  using 
blank  cartridges,  of  course,  and  discharged  a  red  rocket 
as  a  signal  to  the  boat  that  she  was  discovered.  The 
boat  must  then  fire  a  green  rocket  and  withdraw. 
Search  lights  were,  of  course,  in  constant  use.  If  any 
boat  succeeded  in  remaining  undiscovered  on  the  mine 
field  for  five  minutes,  she  was  to  fire  a  red  rocket,  plant 
a  countermine  with  a  buoy  bearing  the  name  of  the  ship 
to  which  she  belonged,  and  then  withdraw.  The  at 
tacks  were  well  planned  and  intelligently  carried  out, 
but  were  successful  in  only  two  cases  that  I  now  recall. 

211 


An  Admiral's  Log 

One  of  the  vessels  fitted  out  a  boat  with  khaki-col 
oured  canvas,  and  with  this  a  party  crept  onto  the  mine 
field  undiscovered  and  planted  their  buoy. 

In  the  other  case  a  midshipman,  with  two  compan 
ions,  swam  out,  towing  a  small  raft  containing  the 
countermine,  and  planted  his  buoy  without  detection. 
The  water  was  full  of  man-eating  sharks,  and,  as  I 
knew  the  mother  of  the  midshipman,  I  issued  orders 
that  the  swimming  mode  of  attack  would  be  discon 
tinued!  A  week  of  this  exercise  showed  wonderful 
ingenuity  on  the  part  of  the  officers  and  men;  it  also 
convinced  me  that  a  properly  laid  mine  field,  if  defended 
by  guns,  would  prove  very  troublesome  to  an  enemy,  but 
without  the  defending  guns  the  mines  would  amount  to 
nothing. 

In  the  meantime  the  batteries  for  Grande  Island  had 
been  constructed  and  the  guns  placed  in  position  and 
manned  by  a  detachment  of  marines  commanded  by 
Major  Karmany.  Camp  Evans  was  established  in  the 
rear  of  the  main  battery,  where  the  marines,  living  un 
der  service  conditions,  were  most  efficient  in  the  per 
formance  of  their  duties.  The  officers  and  crews  of  the 
Vicksburg  and  Annapolis  showed  most  commendable 
zeal,  worked  all  night,  or  in  the  blazing  tropical  sun, 
until  the  four-inch  guns  of  their  ships  were  on  the 
beach.  Not  content  with  this,  they  helped  the  marines 
to  cut  roads  through  the  undergrowth,  drag  the  guns 
nearly  half  a  mile,  and  place  them  in  position.  The 
platforms  for  the  guns  were  made  of  heavy  timber 
at  the  Cavite  Naval  Station,  so  arranged  that  they  could 
be  taken  apart,  transported  to  the  place  where  they 
were  to  be  used,  and  there  assembled.  After  the  bat- 

212 


Fleet  Movements 

teries  were  completed,  which  was  done  in  wonderfully 
quick  time,  I  ordered  them  to  have  target  practice,  and, 
to  the  surprise  of  every  one,  no  sign  of  weakness  devel 
oped,  though  regular  service  ammunition  was  used. 
Four  batteries  were  constructed  and  thus  tested ;  two  of 
them  had  four-inch  guns  and  two  were  six-pounders. 
In  every  respect  the  work  was  well  done  and  the  prac 
tice  most  beneficial  to  officers  and  men.  At  the  end  of 
ten  days  the  guns  were  dismounted  and  returned  to 
their  ships,  and  this  part  of  the  manoeuvres  was  con 
cluded. 

On  the  way  back  to  Manila  a  few  fleet  movements 
were  attempted,  but  I  was  soon  convinced  that  no  good 
results  could  be  secured  in  this  way;  the  ships  were  too 
dissimilar  to  work  together,  and  the  officers  had  not 
had  sufficient  practice  in  preliminary  drills.  It  was  like 
trying  to  learn  arithmetic  without  knowing  the  multi 
plication  table,  so  I  determined  to  go  back  and  learn  the 
multiplication  table  first. 

Having  selected  six  ships  that  could  be  made  to 
work  reasonably  well  together,  I  drilled  them  pretty 
constantly.  Each  morning  we  would  get  under  way 
while  it  was  yet  cool,  proceed  to  a  safe  distance  from 
shore,  spend  the  day  manoeuvring,  and  at  night  anchor 
with  the  fleet.  Satisfied  that  this  was  the  kind  of  train 
ing  we"  needed,  and  that  as  much  good  as  possible 
might  follow,  I  detailed  the  captains  one  after  another 
to  command  this  drill  fleet,  thus  giving  them  valuable 
experience.  One  may  read  and  study  about  handling 
ships,  which  is  no  doubt  a  good  thing  to  do,  but  the 
way— the  real  way— to  learn  it  is  actually  to  handle  the 
ships  under  way  at  sea. 

is  213 


An  Admiral's  Log 

As  the  time  approached  for  our  target  practice,  a 
fine  range  was  laid  out  in  the  bay  well  clear  of  the 
shipping.  Targets  were  prepared  at  the  naval  station 
ready  for  use,  and  officers  and  men  gave  their  undi 
vided  attention  preparing  to  make  a  record.  When  the 
Kentucky  and  the  New  Orleans  had  fired  we  were  sat 
isfied  of  two  things:  first,  that  the  guns  would  hit  the 
target  when  properly  aimed ;  second,  that  the  new  sights 
we  had  installed  furnished  the  means  by  which  we 
could  do  so.  The  rapidity  of  fire  had  been  wonderfully 
increased  as  a  result  of  the  ping-pong  practice  and 
the  use  of  the  loading  machine,  but  there  was  room 
yet  for  great  improvement.  The  Merritt  sight  which 
had  been  fitted  to  one  of  the  turret  guns  of  the  Ken 
tucky  gave  such  good  results  that  I  ordered  it  fitted  for 
all  turret  guns.  I  also  ordered  high-power  telescopes 
for  all  broadside  guns  not  already  so  fitted. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  to  test  the  torpedo- 
boat  question — to  see  if  a  torpedo  boat  could  get  near 
enough  to  a  battleship  to  discharge  a  torpedo  with  a 
fair  chance  of  hitting  her.  The  target  I  had  ordered 
built  was  ready,  and  fairly  represented  a  section  of  a 
torpedo  boat  coming  bows  on.  A  powerful  tug  boat, 
capable  of  steaming  seventeen  knots,  was  detailed  to  tow 
this  target,  which  was  fitted  with  a  towline  of  sufficient 
length  to  avoid  the  probability  of  accident.  The  officer 
who  was  to  do  the  towing  was  directed  to  get  under 
way,  get  out  of  sight,  and  at  night,  between  the  hours 
of  ten  and  twelve,  find  the  Kentucky  and  tow  the  tar 
get  at  her  as  nearly  as  possible  at  right  angles.  This 
was  to  simulate  a  torpedo  boat  running  at  the  beam  of 
the  ship.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark  the  Kentucky  weighed 

214 


Torpedo-Boat  Tests 

anchor,  stood  out  into  the  bay,  and  began  using  her 
search  lights  to  pick  up  the  tug  or  the  target. 

The  night  was  ideal  for  the  attack — drizzling  rain, 
stiff  breeze,  and  some  mist.  When  discovered,  the  five- 
inch  guns  of  the  ship  were  to  fire,  but  for  thirty  seconds 
only,  and  then  the  target  would  be  examined  for  hits. 
About  a  quarter  of  eleven  the  smoke  of  the  tug  showed 
up  under  the  beams  of  the  search  light,  and  a  few  min 
utes  later  a  low,  white  line  was  detected  on  the  water. 
This  was  recognised  as  the  bow  wave  of  the  torpedo 
boat,  or  target,  and  two  range  shots  were  fired — one 
struck  short  and  the  other  over — which  gave  us  the 
range.  The  signal  to  open  fire  was  then  given.  Strict 
silence  reigned  on  the  <ship,  except  for  the  rapid  firing 
of  the  guns.  Every  man  was  at  his  station,  and  all 
were  keenly  alert.  It  was  very  like  the  real  thing  and 
most  exciting.  I  was  watching  the  target,  the  outlines 
of  which  were  barely  visible  when  the  firing  began,  and 
at  the  second  shot  I  saw  it  list  over  to  one  side  and 
then  quickly  right  itself.  One  shot  at  least  had  cer 
tainly  struck  it.  My  order  to  the  guns  was  to  make  a 
zone  of  fire  in  front  of  the  target  so  perfect  that  noth 
ing  could  get  through  without  being  struck.  They  cer 
tainly  did  this !  At  the  end  of  thirty  seconds  the  sig 
nal  "  Cease  firing  "  was  given,  the  Kentucky  returned 
to  her  anchorage,  and  the  men  were  given  their  ham 
mocks;  but  no  one  turned  in.  The  desire  to  see  what 
they  had  done  to  the  target  was  so  great  that  they 
stood  about  in  the  drizzling  rain  until  it  was  towed 
alongside,  where  they  could  have  a  good  look  at  it 
under  the  rays  of  the  search  light.  A  brief  inspection 
showed  that  six  five-inch  shells  had  passed  completely 

215 


An  Admiral's  Log 

through  the  boat,  any  one  of  which  would  have  put  a 
torpedo  boat  out  of  business. 

The  test  had  been  most  practical  and  thorough,  and 
gave  great  confidence  to  the  gunners  and  little  comfort 
to  the  champions  of  the  torpedo.  It  showed  to  me 
clearly  that  a  battleship,  properly  drilled,  whose  gun 
ners  could  shoot  fast  and  straight,  was  in  little  danger 
from  an  attack  of  this  character. 

About  this  time  the  French  were  building  a  num 
ber  of  submarines,  and  the  advocates  of  this  new 
weapon  were  claiming  all  sorts  of  things  for  it.  They 
claimed  at  first  that  they  could  destroy  a  whole  fleet 
every  night,  if  anybody  would  supply  the  fleet !  When 
it  became  evident  that  they  could  not  find  the  ships  after 
dark,  they  claimed  that  they  could  do  the  same  trick  by 
daylight,  without  danger  to  the  submarine,  as  they 
could  come  to  the  surface  (the  periscope  had  not  then 
been  adopted),  locate  the  ship,  and  again  disappear  in 
thirty  seconds.  This  was  too  short  a  time,  however,  for 
a  ship  to  use  her  guns. 

To  see  what  was  practical  in  this  purely  theoretical 
claim,  I  determined  to  have  a  thorough  test.  For  this 
purpose  I  ordered  a  diving  target  made — one  that  could 
be  made  to  behave  much  like  a  submarine  boat.  The 
officer  in  command  of  the  naval  station  at  Cavite,  Cap 
tain  Couden,  was  a  very  clever  mechanic,  and  he  pro 
duced  a  target  which  was  both  amusing  and  serviceable. 
A  float  carried  the  exact  counterpart  of  the  conning 
tower  of  a  submarine.  The  lines  by  which  it  was  to 
be  towed  were  so  arranged  that  by  slacking  one  of  them 
the  float  would  dive  and  remain  under  water  until  this 
line  was  again  hauled  on  and  tautened,  when  it  would 

216 


Coast  Survey 

quickly  come  to  the  surface.  After  there  had  been 
plenty  of  practice  with  this  device  to  ensure  its  proper 
working,  it  was  towed  at  the  Kentucky  and  fired  at  for 
twenty  seconds  with  the  six-pounder  guns  of  one  broad 
side.  At  the  third  shot  splinters  flew  into  the  air,  and 
the  target,  when  brought  alongside,  was  found  to  be 
practically  destroyed,  the  whole  part  representing  the 
conning  tower  being  shot  away.  Since  that  time  great 
improvements  have  been  made,  and  submarines  have 
taken  their. place  as  a  recognised  weapon  in  warfare. 
They  will  certainly  make  timid  commanders  very  mis 
erable  in  time  of  war;  but  that  they  will  be  a  serious 
threat  to  a  fleet  at  sea  I  do  not  for  a  moment  concede. 
They  may,  like  the  dreaded  banana  peel,  occasionally 
hurt  something  by  accident,  but  that  will  be  all. 

Conditions  were  such  at  the  time  of  which  I  am 
writing  that  the  army  operating  in  the  southern  islands 
against  the  Moros  was  constantly  asking  for  the  assist 
ance  of  the  navy.  We  were  willing,  even  anxious,  to 
do  all  in  our  power  to  help  our  brother  officers  of  the 
army  in  the  thankless  job  they  had  on  hand,  but  one 
thing  stood  seriously  in  the  way  of  effective  co-opera 
tion — our  charts  were  old,  in  most  cases  so  inaccurate 
as  to  endanger  vessels  using  them.  Only  by  a  thorough 
and  systematic  survey  could  this  be  remedied.  I  had 
the  officers  and  men  for  the  work,  the  necessary  instru 
ments,  and  gunboats  which  were  fine  vessels  for  the 
purpose.  Among  the  officers  available  was  Commander 
Hughes,  who  had  done  valuable  work  for  the  coast  sur 
vey  at  home,  and  was  in  every  way  fitted  for  the  job  I 
had  in  mind.  Six  gunboats  were  detailed  for  the  pur 
pose  and  ordered  to  report  to  him  for  duty.  In  a  very 

217 


An  Admiral's  Log 

short  time  he  had  everything  in  readiness,  and  the  ex 
pedition  sailed.  I  had  selected  the  water  in  which  we 
were  likely  to  be  called  upon  to  operate  as  the  first  to  be 
surveyed.  Much  of  it  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Mindanao 
and  Jolo,  where  the  natives  were  turbulent  and  likely 
to  give  trouble.  In  order  to  avoid  as  far  as  possible 
any  difficulty  with  these  people,  the  commanding  offi 
cers  of  the  surveying  vessels  were  directed  to  visit  the 
Datos,  or  chiefs,  before  landing  men  to  erect  signals, 
and  to  explain  to  them  fully  what  we  were  going  to  do : 
that  these  surveys  were  necessary  to  ensure  the  safety 
of  the  naval  vessels  that  had  to  communicate  with 
them,  and  that  they  would,  in  the  end,  increase  their 
trade  and  commerce. 

Everything  went  well  with  my  surveying  expedition 
until  Commander  Hughes,  in  the  Annapolis,  struck  an 
uncharted  reef  and  remained  there  for  ten  days  before 
we  could  get  him  off.  This  accident  showed  clearly 
the  necessity  for  the  work,  and  I  ordered  it  pressed  with 
vigour.  The  captain  of  one  of  the  very  small  gunboats 
— she  carried  only  fifty  men  all  told — communicated 
with  a  chief  in  the  vicinity  of  Jolo,  explained  what  he 
wanted,  and  was  granted  permission  to  erect  his  sig 
nals.  This  was  done  with  great  labour,  as  all  material 
had  to  be  carried  on  shore  in  small  boats  and  then 
taken  on  the  shoulders  of  the  men  through  the  tropical 
jungle  to  the  site  selected.  These  sights  were  always 
on  high,  prominent  points,  and  to  reach  them  in  the 
broiling  sun  was  not  easy.  The  next  morning  two  of 
the  signals  had  been  torn  down,  and  a  midshipman  with 
a  party  of  men  was  sent  on  shore  to  see  what  the 
trouble  was.  When  the  party  had  been  gone  some 

218  " 


Trouble  with  Moros 

hours  the  commanding  officer  went  himself  with  an 
armed  boat's  crew  to  look  after  them.  He  found  them 
surrounded  by  two  or  three  hundred  Moros,  who  were 
preparing  to  cut  them  up  with  bolos.  A  Catling  gun 
soon  settled  the  difficulty,  and  the  chief  replaced  the  sig 
nals.  Both  he  and  his  followers  were  warned  that 
those  signals  were  the  property  of  the  United  States, 
and  that  if  they  were  molested  again  somebody  would 
get  hurt. 

This  expedition  was  undertaken  with  the  approval 
of  Governor  Taft,  who  plainly  saw  the  necessity  for  it. 
My  surprise  can  be  imagined  when  I  was  accused  by 
the  press  of  starting  a  war  with  the  Moros!  In  reply 
I  stated  what  I  had  done,  and  added  that  if  this  was  to 
produce  a  war,  I  could  see  no  better  cause  for  one.  If 
an  officer  of  the  navy  could  not  survey  waters  belonging 
to  the  United  States  in  order  to  secure  safe  navigation 
for  his  ships,  I  thought  the  sooner  we  whipped  those 
holding  that  view  the  better.  The  work  went  on  with 
out  serious  trouble,  though  I  believe  the  Moros  did 
make  it  an  excuse  for  killing  some  of  our  men,  for 
which  act  they  were  severely  punished. 

The  survey  was  only  partially  completed  when  or 
ders  came  from  Washington  to  stop  it;  not  that  the 
Navy  Department  objected  to  the  survey,  but  because 
they  wished  the  vessels  kept  together  for  fleet  work. 
The  official  letter  I  received  on  the  subject  was  a  severe 
condemnation  of  my  course;  and  it  ordered  fleet  drills 
for  all  the  vessels.  Later,  when  they  understood  how 
impossible  this  was,  what  an  absolute  waste  of  time, 
they  relented  somewhat,  and  directed  me  to  use  my  dis 
cretion  in  such  matters,  which  was  just  what  I  had 

219 


An  Admiral's  Log 

done,  and  all  I  had  done,  in  this  instance.  Swivel 
chairs  sometimes  have  the  effect  of  warping  the  judg 
ment  of  those  that  occupy  them. 

One  very  curious  and  interesting  thing  resulted 
from  this  survey.  The  officer  sent  to  work  among  the 
Tawi-Tawi  Islands,  the  most  southern  of  the  group, 
not  knowing  the  exact  boundary  of  our  possessions, 
obtained  from  the  army  officer  in  command  a  chart 
showing  just  where  this  boundary  line  ran.  As  the 
work  progressed  he  found  a  number  of  small  islands, 
not  belonging  to  us  or  to  anybody  else — a  sort  of  no- 
man's  land,  as  it  were.  They  were  between  our  line 
and  the  coast  of  Borneo — excellent  places  for  pirates 
to  assemble,  or  from  which  persons  so  disposed  could 
sell  arms  to  our  peace-loving  "  little  brown  brothers  " 
in  that  part  of  the  world.  When  this  was  reported  to 
me,  I  at  once  applied  to  General  George  W.  Davis, 
U.  S.  A.,  then  in  command  of  the  Military  Depart 
ment  of  the  Philippines,  for  his  opinion.  He  was,  by 
all  odds,  the  best-posted  man  in  all  the  islands  as  to 
our  rights  under  Spanish  treaties,  and  his  able  admin 
istration  of  his  department  gave  a  weight  to  his  opinion 
which  would  be  regarded  in  Washington.  He  agreed 
with  me  entirely  that  we  owned  every  island  outside 
the  three-mile  limit  from  the  coast  of  Borneo,  and  I 
embodied  this  opinion  in  my  report  to  Washington. 
The  President  finally  ordered  that  the  line  be  drawn  as 
suggested,  which  was  done,  and  the  chart,  so  marked, 
supplied  to  all  who  were  interested.  Later  I  sent  a 
gunboat  and  had  our  flag  hoisted  on  all  the  islands  in 
the  disputed  belt.  The  poor  inhabitants  were  glad  to 
know  at  last  to  whom  they  really  belonged. 

220 


Distrust  of  the  Filipinos 

In  January  of  this  year  Rear-Admiral  Cooper,  an 
officer  of  recognised  ability,  great  energy,  and  excep 
tional  executive  qualities,  was  ordered  to  command  the 
southern  division.  When  he  came  I  received  the 
warm  support  I  had  expected  of  him,  and  our  great 
success  at  target  practice  and  the  general  efficiency  of 
the  fleet  was  due  in  great  measure  to  his  loyal  support. 
The  Navy  Department  had  ordered  two  more  battle 
ships  to  the  station,  and  one  of  them,  the  Wisconsin, 
was  assigned  as  his  flagship  when  he  later  became  com 
mander  of  the  northern  division. 

It  was  curious,  at  this  early  day,  to  observe  the 
feeling  of  distrust  which  the  Filipinos  entertained  for 
us.  It  afterwards  grew  into  positive  hatred,  until  to 
day  many  of  them  do  not  hesitate  to  say  they  would 
be  glad  to  have  the  Spaniards  back  in  our  stead.  It 
cannot  be  pleasant  or  conducive  to  friendly  feeling  to 
be  constantly  compared  with  others,  always  to  our  dis 
advantage;  and  this  was  what  these  people  had  to  put 
up  with  all  the  time.  We  did  not  make  the  comparison ; 
they  did  themselves,  sometimes,  I  suppose,  uncon 
sciously.  The  first  thing  they  saw  in  the  morning, 
when  they  looked  out  into  the  street,  was  a  company  or 
a  file  of  American  soldiers,  fine,  stalwart  fellows, 
swinging  along  with  an  air  that  made  their  own  men 
look  small  and  insignificant.  Then  came,  perhaps,  a 
six-mule  American  army  wagon,  the  driver  a  negro,  tall 
and  muscular,  capable  of  taking  one  of  their  own  carts 
— horse,  driver,  and  all — on  his  shoulders  and  walking 
off  with  it;  then  probably  a  fine  American  carriage 
would  come  dashing  by,  drawn  by  large,  spirited 
horses,  with  the  well-dressed  wife  of  some  officer  or 

221 


An  Admiral's  Log 

official  reclining  in  it,  and  this  vehicle  was  uncon 
sciously  compared  with  their  own  wretched  vehicles 
and  animals.  Everything  belonging  to  the  newcomers 
was  larger  and  finer  and  better  than  what  they  had,  and, 
above  all,  they  were  a  dependent  race!  How  could  any 
thing  but  ill-feeling  and  jealousy  come  from  such  a 
condition  ? 

A  man  of  position  in  Manila  once  said  to  me  that 
his  people  disliked  the  Americans  more  than  they  had 
the  Spaniards.  As  he  had  been  so  frank  with  me,  I 
asked  him  if  he  would  not  tell  me  why  this  was  so,  and 
he  did.  He  explained  that  he  had  long  been  a  merchant 
in  Manila,  and  was  still  in  business;  that  in  Spanish 
days  when  a  shipment  of  goods  came  he  could,  by  pay 
ing  a  small  amount  to  some  customs  officer,  get  his 
goods  entered,  while  his  competitors  had  to  pay  the 
full  amount  of  duty.  Now,  he  said,  this  was  changed, 
and  he  had  to  pay  his  duty  as  others  did,  which  deprived 
him  of  the  advantage  he  had  enjoyed.  I  indicated  in  a 
few  words  what  I  thought  of  his  reasoning,  whereupon 
he  went  further.  He  claimed  that  we  employed  more 
officials  than  the  Spaniards  had,  paid  them  higher  sal 
aries,  and  thus  increased  the  tax  rate.  I  thought  it 
time  to  say  something  for  our  side,  and  asked  him  if  he 
did  not  know  that  we  had  provided  a  fine  water  supply 
for  the  city,  thus  preventing  the  awful  scourge  of  chol 
era,  which  had  killed  so  many  people.  He  admitted 
that  we  had,  but  claimed  that  his  people  did  not  fear 
the  cholera,  and  if  we  did  not  want  to  get  it,  all  we  had 
to  do  was  to  stay  away;  that  the  former  system  of 
water  supply  suited  them.  I  asked  him  if  he  would  not 
admit  that  we  had  paved  and  cleaned  the  city,  cut 

222 


Dislike  of  Americans 

through  the  old  walls,  and  let  in  air  and  light,  thus 
improving  the  sanitary  conditions.  He  admitted  that 
we  had  done  these  things,  but  not  with  the  consent  of 
the  people,  who  were  satisfied  with  things  as  they  stood, 
and  did  not  want  any  of  our  new  sanitary  methods  and 
improvements.  One  could  not  argue  with  such  a  fool. 
He,  no  doubt,  represented  a  large  class  who  were  in  a 
position  to  influence  the  feelings  of  the  people.  Educa 
tion  will  in  time  remedy  all  this.  If  it  does  not,  bullets 
and  bayonets,  I  know,  will. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE   SOUTHERN   ISLANDS   OF   THE   PHILIPPINES 

THE  change  from  military  to  civil  government  had 
been  made  with  very  little  friction,  owing  to  the  judg 
ment  and  ability  of  Mr.  Taft,  the  civil  governor.  In 
other  hands  than  his  the  transfer  might  have  been  diffi 
cult  and  vexatious.  It  was  only  natural  that  the  offi 
cers  of  the  military  branch  should  feel  that  it  would 
have  been  better  policy  to  let  them  govern,  at  least  for  a 
time,  the  people  they  had  lately  fought  to  a  standstill. 
This  feeling  still  prevails,  and  is  shared  by  many  out 
side  the  military  service. 

The  newly  appointed  civil  government  seemed  to 
feel  that  it  should  treat  the  military  element  with  all 
the  seventy  it  would  stand.  This  was  particularly  the 
case  in  the  punishment  of  soldiers  who  committed 
offences.  In  some  cases  the  judges  who  awarded  pun 
ishment  were  men  who  had  served  under  Aguinaldo  in 
the  recent  revolution.  The  new  collector  of  customs 
was  a  veritable  "  new  broom,"  and  swept  so  clean  that 
he  imposed  and  collected  duties  from  officers  of  the 
army  for  their  swords  and  uniforms,  unless  they  actu 
ally  wore  them  at  the  time  of  landing.  One  can  easily 
imagine  the  feeling  thus  produced  among  men  who 
were  to  defend  this  government  with  the  very  swords 
on  which  they  were  paying  duty.  They  could,  and  did, 

224 


Annoyances  from  Customs  People 

stand  the  tropical  sun,  the  torrents  of  rain,  and  other 
hardships  without  a  word  of  complaint,  but  they  swore 
like  troopers  over  the  duty  on  their  swords !  And  who 
can  blame  them? 

We  were  fortunate  in  the  navy  that  we  did  not  come 
in  contact  generally  with  these  customs  people.  We 
had  our  own  station  where  our  vessels  remained,  and, 
as  we  did  not  have  to  land  outside  our  own  jurisdiction, 
we  were  not  subjected  to  the  same  annoyances  as  our 
brother  officers  of  the  army.  One  attempt  was  made 
by  the  collector  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  people  on  a 
naval  transport,  but  he  was  not  encouraged  by  the 
result,  and  afterwards  gave  us  no  trouble.  I  told  him 
plainly  that  no  vessel  in  commission  under  my  com 
mand  could  be  searched  or  hindered  in  her  movements 
except  by  my  orders  or  the  orders  of  some  superior; 
that  I  had  only  two  superiors — the  President  and  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy — and  that  he  must  show  me  or 
ders  from  one  or  the  other  before  he  could  do  anything 
to  one  of  the  ships  of  the  fleet.  If  any  attempt  was  made 
to  land  anything  contrary  to  law,  he  could  seize  the 
articles  so  landed,  and  I  would  see  to  it  that  the  offend 
ers  were  severely  punished.  But  the  idea  of  an  insular 
official  of  the  customs  branch  claiming  the  right  to 
place  a  guard  on  a  United  States  transport  in  the  naval 
service,  commanded  by  a  naval  officer,  made  me  a  bit 
hot.  It  was  certainly  the  tail  wagging  the  dog. 

The  energy  of  this  newly  created  Customs  Depart 
ment  of  the  Philippine  civil  government  cost  the  Navy 
Department  quite  a  sum  of  money;  and  of  one  instance 
I  had  personal  knowledge.  During  the  time  of  military 
government  a  contract  had  been  made  by  the  Navy 

225 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Department  for  the  construction  of  a  coaling  plant  at 
Sangley  Point,  Cavite.  This  contract  contained  a  pro 
vision,  by  consent  of  the  War  Department,  that  the  con 
tractor  should  have  the  right  to  bring  in,  free  of  duty, 
in  the  vessels  carrying  the  material  for  the  station,  food 
for  his  employees.  Before  the  plant  was  half  completed 
the  form  of  government  was  changed  from  military  to 
civil,  and  the  new  collector  of  customs  began  to  sweep 
with  his  new  broom.  In  the  absence  of  the  commander- 
in-chief,  my  predecessor,  a  vessel  arrived  for  the  con 
tractor.  A  customs  guard  was  placed  on  board,  who 
would  not  permit  anything  to  be  landed  or  used  until 
duty  was  paid. 

When  I  arrived  at  Cavite  the  contractor  reported 
the  case  to  me,  stating  that  he  was  well  satisfied  with 
the  situation,  as  it  permitted  him  to  make  an  extra 
charge  for  the  work,  because  the  government  had  vio 
lated  its  contract.  After  reading  the  contract  carefully, 
I  appealed  to  the  civil  authorities,  stating  the  conditions 
that  were  being  violated.  At  best  it  was  only  taking 
money  out  of  one  pocket  and  putting  it  in  another. 
The  civil  authorities  sustained  the  collector  in  his  posi 
tion,  and  the  work  stopped  for  several  months  until  my 
report  could  reach  Washington,  when,  after  a  consulta 
tion  with  the  War  Department,  the  necessary  orders 
were  issued,  and  the  work  again  progressed.  That 
changing  the  form  of  government  of  these  islands 
could  possibly  justify  the  breaking  of  a  contract  by  one 
of  the  parties  to  it,  and  that  party  the  government  itself, 
seemed  to  me  an  absurd  proposition.  However,  the 
Navy  Department  paid  well  over  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars  to  find  it  out. 

226 


The  Philippine  Mango 

If  the  collector  of  customs  had  devised  some  plan 
to  prevent  the  building  of  this  coaling  plant  at  Sangley 
Point,  he  would  have  saved  the  United  States  a  large 
sum  and  rendered  a  great  service  to  the  navy.  As  it 
stands  now,  it  represents  as  foolish  a  waste  of  public 
money  as  one  can  imagine.  The  water  about  this  plant 
is  so  shoal  that  nothing  but  small  gunboats  can  ap 
proach  nearer  than  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  in  case  of  war 
it  is  open  to  the  fire  of  any  vessel  wishing  to  destroy  it. 
Colliers  have  to  land  half  their  cargoes  before  they  can 
get  to  it,  and  all  coal  for  vessels  must  be  taken  off  in 
lighters.  In  other  words,  the  coal  must  all  be  handled 
twice. 

With  all  our  vexations  at  Manila,  however,  there 
was  one  thing,  and  only  one,  I  believe,  that  met  with 
universal  approbation.  All  hands,  military  and  civil, 
agreed  on  the  fine  properties  of  the  Philippine  mango ! 
This  excellent  fruit  ripened  while  we  were  there,  and 
we  all  agreed  that  for  a  breakfast  dish  it  was  the  best 
yet  found.  Peaches  are  good,  Rocky  Ford  melons  deli 
cious,  but  they  don't  compare  with  a  fine,  ripe,  golden- 
coloured  mango.  The  natives  try  to  force  them  into 
the  market  by  firing  the  trees,  and  thus  prematurely 
ripening  the  fruit — a  process,  of  course,  which  does  not 
produce  good  results.  You  only  get  the  genuine  article 
when  it  is  allowed  to  ripen  naturally. 

The  projected  manoeuvres,  target  practice,  etc., 
having  been  completed  and  full  reports  made  to  the 
Navy  Department,  I  transferred  my  flag  temporarily  to 
the  naval  transport  Zafiro  and,  with  my  staff,  started  on 
a  trip  through  the  southern  islands  of  the  Philippine 
group,  that  I  might  know  from  personal  observation 

227 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  exact  conditions.  The  Kentucky  was  ordered  to 
proceed  to  Labuan,  Borneo,  where  I  was  to  rejoin  her. 
We  sailed  from  Manila  on  the  8th  of  February,  and 
touched  at  the  following  points,  all  of  which  were  garri 
soned  by  small  bodies  of  United  States  soldiers  or 
marines:  Catbalogan,  Tacloban,  Cebu,  Zamboanga, 
Isabela,  Malabang,  Police,  Cottabato,  Jolo,  Siassi,  Bon- 
gao  Island,  and  Tumindao  Island.  Then  we  crossed 
over  to  Borneo.  At  most  of  these  points  the  soldiers 
were  constantly  employed  guarding  those  who  wished 
to  conduct  legitimate  business  against  the  attacks  of 
the  ladrones,  or  robbers,  who  seemed  to  infest  the  whole 
country. 

At  Zamboanga  an  old  friend,  General  S.  S.  Sum- 
ner,  U.  S.  A.,  commanding  the  Department  of  Minda 
nao,  joined  me  with  his  aide,  Captain  Morrow,  U.  S.  A. 
They  remained  with  the  party  until  we  reached  Jolo, 
showing  us  the  various  army  posts  on  the  route. 

At  Malabang  we  transferred  to  a  small  gunboat,  in 
which  we  crossed  the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio 
Grande  and  prepared  for  a  trip  to  Camp  Vickars,  on 
Lake  Linao,  where  our  army  held  its  advanced  post 
facing  the  fortified  lines  of  the  Moros.  The  Rio 
Grande  flows  through  a  beautiful,  fertile  valley,  in  ap 
pearance  not  unlike  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  capa 
ble  of  producing  enormous  quantities  of  sugar-cane  and 
other  products  if  reliable  labour  could  be  secured.  On 
the  way  up  the  river,  in  which  the  current  was  very 
strong,  the  crocodiles  floated  lazily  about,  like  great 
tree  trunks,  warning  us  that  a  fall  into  the  muddy 
stream  would  be  fatal.  Families  of  monkeys  played 
about  the  banks,  old  gray-haired  grandfathers  and 

228 


At   Malabang 

grandmothers,  with  their  descendants,  who  grinned  and 
chattered  at  us  as  we  passed.  They  were  careful  to 
keep  far  enough  from  the  water  to  avoid  the  tails  of  the 
crocodiles ;  if  they  ventured  too  near,  one  stroke  of  the 
long,  strong  tail  of  the  reptile  was  enough  to  secure  his 
meal  of  monkey  meat.  Many  of  the  native  children,  I 
was  told,  lost  their  lives  in  this  way.  It  was  surprising 
to  see  how  far  out  over  the  bank  a  crocodile  could 
strike,  and  always  with  fatal  results. 

The  army  post  at  Malabang  was  beautifully  located, 
near  one  of  the  finest  springs  I  have  ever  seen.  Shacks 
had  been  erected  for  the  officers  and  their  families,  and 
for  the  families  of  those  officers  who  were  serving  at 
the  front.  No  women  or  children  were  permitted  to  go 
beyond  Malabang;  and  as  cholera  was  prevalent  in  all 
the  advanced  camps,  the  anxiety  of  those  left  behind 
was  painful  to  see.  But  the  wives  stood  up  to  their 
work  as  American  women  always  do,  with  smiling 
faces,  and  did  what  was  possible  to  help  their  hus 
bands,  who  might  at  any  moment  be  brought  in  on 
stretchers,  wounded  by  Moro  bolos,  or  dead  of  the  chol 
era.  I  have  always  been  proud  of  my  countrymen — 
never  more  so  than  when  I  saw  the  sacrifices  they  were 
making  in  this  God-forsaken  tropical  country. 

General  Sumner  had  a  four-mule  ambulance  in 
readiness  for  our  trip  to  Camp  Vickars,  and,  with  a 
strong  cavalry  escort,  we  started  in  the  cool  of  the 
morning — cool  only  by  comparison,  for  as  I  sat  with 
an  army  rifle  across  my  lap  ready  for  use  I  was  sure  I 
had  never  encountered  more  stifling  heat.  The  road 
we  followed  was  a  fine  one — a  monument  to  the  soldiers 
who  had  cut  and  made  it  through  the  tropical  jungle, 
16  229 


An  Admiral's  Log 

where  at  times  it  required  all  day  for  two  men  to  cut 
down  one  of  the  hard-wood  trees.  To  give  the  men 
some  chance  to  defend  themselves  against  a  rush  of  the 
savage  Moros,  with  their  heavy  bolos,  the  road  had  been 
cut  two  hundred  feet  wide.  Up  and  up  we  climbed, 
always  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  our  keen  escort  always  on 
the  alert  and  our  guns  ready  for  instant  use,  while 
the  monkeys  scampered  about  grinning  and  chattering 
at  us,  until  we  reached  an  elevation  of  about  two 
thousand  feet,  when  the  jungle  grew  perceptibly 
thinner  and  at  four  thousand,  feet  we  found  our 
selves  in  what  looked  like  a  farming  section  of  Penn 
sylvania. 

Still  following  the  military  road,  we  came  to  a 
camp  of  soldiers — two  companies  of  infantry,  holding 
a  strategic  point  where  some  so-called  friendly  Moros 
were  quiet  for  the  time.  We  rested  in  this  camp  for 
half  an  hour,  had  a  drink  and  a  sandwich  with  the  offi 
cers,  and  then  pressed  on  to  Camp  Vickars,  where  we 
arrived  early  in  the  afternoon,  dust-covered  and  almost 
melted  with  the  heat.  When  we  had  cooled  off  a  bit 
and  got  rid  of  the  dirt,  we  had  a  look  at  the  camp  and 
its  surroundings. 

Fort  Vickars,  after  which  the  camp  was  named,  was 
near  by.  It  was  here  that  Dr.  Vickars  was  killed,  a 
year  before,  and  his  name  was  given  to  the  fort. 
When  the  attack  was  made,  the  infantry  grew  impa 
tient,  feeling  that  they  could  carry  the  work  without 
waiting  for  the  artillery  to  shell  it.  A  charge  was 
ordered,  and  it  was  only  when  a  number  of  men  had 
fallen  in  and  been  impaled  that  a  wide  ditch  was  dis 
covered  running  around  the  fort,  hidden  somewhat  by 

230 


At  Fort  Vickars 

brush  and  grass,  and  filled  with  sharpened  bamboos.  A 
number  of  officers  and  men  were  killed  before  the  order 
was  given  to  fall  back  a  short  distance  and  bivouac  for 
the  night.  In  the  early  morning  five  or  six  cavalry 
soldiers  were  standing  in  a  group  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  from  the  fort,  smoking  their  pipes,  when 
a  Moro  was  seen  to  pass  the  gate.  He  was  a  tall,  fine- 
looking,  muscular  black,  and  carried  a  kriss  (Malay 
sword)  in  his  hand.  He  ran  straight  for  the  group  of 
cavalrymen,  and  they  began  firing  with  their  carbines. 
He  finally  reached  them,  and  had  cut  one  of  them 
severely,  when  he  was  struck  on  the  head  with  a 
clubbed  gun  and  killed.  He  had  five  bullets  through 
his  lungs  and  the  upper  part  of  his  body,  and  yet  was 
able  to  close  in  and  fight.  This  instance  shows  the 
wonderful  vitality  of  these  savages.  The  sword  he  car 
ried  was  given  to  me  before  I  left  the  camp,  and  is  now 
in  my  Washington  home. 

Looking  across  Lake  Linao,  which,  four  thousand 
feet  above  sea  level,  is  as  beautiful  as  any  lake  in 
Switzerland,  I  could  distinctly  see  the  Moros  on  the 
other  shore  working  like  beavers  on  the  forts  they  were 
erecting  to  prevent  the  further  advance  of  our  army. 
How  I  did  wish  for  a  couple  of  six-inch  guns  and  per 
mission  to  use  them!  Of  course  the  army  could  have 
run  over  these  forts  and  captured  them  any  day  with 
the  loss  of  a  very  few  men,  but  they  were  not  permitted 
to  do  it — they  must  fight  only  when  actually  attacked. 
After  waiting  in  the  hot  sun,  fighting  the  cholera  a  long 
time,  the  expected  attack  came.  The  Moros  had  com 
pleted  their  defences,  and  the  army  had  the  satisfaction 
of  marching  around  the  lake,  knocking  down  the  forts, 

231 


An  Admiral's  Log 

and  sending  a  good  many  Moros  to  their  last  account — 
making  good  Moros  of  them,  so  to  speak. 

Captain  Pershing,  of  the  cavalry,  was  in  command 
at  Fort  Vickars,  and  I  can't  imagine  a  man  better  fitted 
for  the  post.  Young,  active,  and  as  tough  as  leather, 
he  spoke  the  Moro  tongue,  and  impressed  all  who  saw 
him  most  favourably.  He  certainly  won  the  stars  that 
afterwards  came  to  him.  If  they  could  have  been  given 
to  him  without  the  seeming  injustice  to  those  over 
whom  he  was  jumped,  it  might  have  been  better.  That, 
however,  is  a  question  for  the  lawmakers.  The  com 
mand  at  Fort  Vickars  consisted  of  about  three  thousand 
officers  and  men — artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry ;  and  a 
finer  lot  of  men  never  served  under  any  flag.  Captain 
Pershing  had  them  formed  for  review,  and,  in  company 
with  General  Sumner,  I  walked  down  the  line,  looked 
each  man  squarely  in  the  eyes,  and  formed  my  estimate 
of  them.  There  was  not  a  mean-looking  man  in  the 
command.  They  were  brown,  sunburned,  honest,  young 
Americans,  tough  as  nails,  ready  to  give  their  lives  for 
their  country.  Only  three  thousand  of  them  were 
facing  the  thirty  thousand  savage  Moros,  convinced 
that  they  could  whip  them,  and  ready  to  do  it  when 
the  order  came.  As  sunset  approached  I  stood  and 
watched  the  men  marching  to  the  outposts,  some  half 
mile  from  camp,  where  they  were  to  spend  the  night 
guarding  those  who  slept,  and  I  wondered  how  many 
of  them  would  be  dead  before  sunrise  of  to-morrow. 
Only  a  few  days  before  our  arrival  an  outpost  had  been 
cut  up,  all  the  men — three  or  four — killed,  and  their 
guns  secured.  Firearms  were  what  the  Moros  wanted. 
If  one  carried  none,  he  could  go  among  them  with  com- 

232 


The  Moro  Problem 

parative  safety,  even  though  he  carried  a  considerable 
sum  of  money ;  but  any  one  carrying  a  gun  they  would 
murder  on  sight  for  the  sake  of  getting  the  gun. 

A  tent  had  been  pitched  for  me  on  the  edge  of  the 
camp,  near  the  officers'  tents,  and  here  I  passed  a  most 
comfortable  night.  After  dining  with  the  officers,  I 
retired  at  about  midnight.  Captain  Pershing  had  as 
signed  me  as  my  orderly  a  fine  soldier,  a  sergeant  of 
infantry,  who  took  pity  on  my  want  of  knowledge 
about  camping  and  showed  me  how  to  dispose  my  blan 
kets  to  protect  me  from  the  cold.  This  became  quite 
marked  in  the  middle  of  the  night  on  account  of  the 
altitude,  though  we  were  only  three  degrees  north  of 
the  equator.  I  had  noticed  several  bullet  holes  through 
the  side  of  the  tent,  and  asked  my  orderly  what  they 
were. 

"  Don't  mind  them,  sir.  The  Moros  shoot  at  the 
tents  at  night,  sir ;  but  they  won't  hit  you,  sir !  " 

While  I  was  trying  to  acquire  the  confidence  ex 
pressed  by  my  orderly  I  must  have  fallen  asleep,  for 
the  next  thing  I  knew  it  was  daylight  and  the  bugles 
were  sounding  the  reveille. 

After  a  delightful  visit  with  our  army  friends,  we 
returned  to  the  Zafiro  to  continue  our  cruise.  I  could 
not  help  thinking — -I  have  since  had  no  reason  to 
change  my  mind — that  the  Moro  problem  is  much 
harder  to  solve  than  the  race  question  in  our  southern 
states.  Dr.  Booker  T.  Washington  has  indicated  a 
solution  of  the  negro  question ;  but  no  one,  as  far  as  I 
know,  has  suggested  any  method  by  which  we  can  make 
anything  out  of  a  Moro  unless  he  is  killed,  and  then  he 
is  of  no  value.  Of  course  we  must  rescue  these  people 

233 


An  Admiral's  Log 

from  their  present  state,  and  no  doubt  we  shall,  but 
the  means  by  which  it  is  to  be  done  are  as  yet 
unknown. 

Our  return  to  Malabang  was  uneventful.  We  sat 
with  guns  ready  if  the  Moros  came,  sweltering  in  the 
great  heat,  breathing  in  the  dust  with  which  the  air 
was  charged.  As  we  crossed  the  bar  to  join  the 
Zafiro,  we  passed  a  large  tramp  steamer  chartered  by 
the  government  to  convey  to  the  United  States  the 
bodies  of  our  soldiers  who  had  been  killed  or  had  died 
in  the  islands.  It  was  certainly  a  mournful  sight.  On 
the  sandy  beach  was  a  huge  pile  of  caskets,  into  which 
the  remains  were  being  transferred,  while  others  were 
being  hoisted  on  board. 

The  Spaniards  during  their  occupation  of  the  Phil 
ippines  had  maintained  two  small  naval  stations  among 
the  southern  islands  for  the  repair  of  their  gunboats, 
which  were  constantly  engaged  in  warfare  against  the 
Moros  and  other  tribes.  One  was  at  Isabel  de  Basilan, 
the  other  at  Polloc.  The  first  of  these  was  in  charge  of 
a  guard  of  fifty  marines,  who  did  all  that  was  possible 
to  keep  it  in  good  order,  but  as  there  was  no  money 
for  the  purpose  it  had  gradually  run  down,  and  was  in 
woeful  condition  when  I  inspected  it.  Most  of  the 
buildings  were  tumbling  down  or  unsafe  for  quarters, 
and  officers  and  men  were  under  canvas.  All  the  ma 
chine  shops  had  been  gutted  or  their  contents  destroyed, 
so  that  it  was  impossible  to  make  the  smallest  repairs 
with  what  was  left.  It  was  desirable  to  have  a  repair 
station  for  our  small  vessels  somewhere  among  the 
islands,  rather  than  to  send  them  all  the  way  back 
to  Cavite  for  such  work,  but  without  funds  this 

234 


Vitality  of  the  Moro 

was  impossible.  A  full  report  was  sent  to  Wash 
ington,  and  that  was  the  end  of  it.  I  never  heard  of  it 
again. 

Polloc  I  found  in  better  condition,  but  far  from 
what  I  had  hoped  for.  There  was  a  small  marine  rail 
way  which  could  be  used  and  several  machine  shops 
with  good  tools,  but  no  boiler  or  other  means  by  which 
they  could  be  used.  Afterwards  I  found  an  old  boiler 
at  Cavite,  sent  it  to  Polloc,  had  it  installed,  and  some 
good  work  was  done  at  the  station. 

An  instance  which  shows  the  wonderful  vitality  of 
the  Moro  occurred  at  Polloc.  A  band  of  cattle  thieves 
had  located  themselves  twenty  or  thirty  miles  from  the 
station,  and  were  causing  great  excitement  among  the 
people.  When  the  proper  time  came,  the  marines  were 
sent  after  them,  surrounded  them,  and  brought  the 
whole  gang  into  Polloc.  The  leader,  a  short,  wiry, 
black  desperado,  about  five  feet  two  inches  tall,  was 
confined  in  the  marine  guard-house  to  await  trial.  Some 
one  carelessly  left  a  bolo  where  the  Moro  could  get  his 
hands  on  it,  and,  watching  his  opportunity,  he  seized  it 
and  attacked  the  guard.  The  marine  sentry  opened  fire 
at  once  as  the  man  came  toward  him,  and  his  first  shot 
struck  him  on  the  chin  and  smashed  his  jawbone  on 
one  side.  As  he  continued  to  advance,  the  sentry  fired 
a  second  shot,  which  went  straight  through  his  lungs 
and  out  at  his  back.  Then  the  desperado  turned  and 
started  to  run,  when  he  was  brought  to  earth  by  the 
third  shot,  which  struck  at  the  base  of  the  skull  and 
passed  out  over  the  right  eye.  Every  one  supposed 
that  he  was  a  "  good  "  Moro  at  last,  but  the  doctors 
found  life  in  him,  patched  him  up,  and  treated  him  in 

235 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  hospital.  Just  three  weeks  after  the  shooting  I  had 
him  taken  out  of  the  guard-house,  where  he  was  con 
fined  in  irons,  to  have  him  photographed.  He  thought 
I  was  going  to  hang  him,  and  he  trembled  so  violently 
that  it  was  difficult  to  get  a  good  picture  of  him.  His 
face  was  a  bit  out  of  shape  on  one  side,  a  small  blue 
spot  over  his  eye  showed  where  shot  No.  3  had  come 
out,  and  two  more  such  spots,  one  on  his  chest  and  the 
other  between  the  shoulder  blades,  showed  the  course 
of  shot  No.  2.  Apparently  no  damage  had  been  done 
the  rascal,  as  he  seemed  active  and  hearty.  I  was 
anxious,  of  course,  to  try  him  by  court-martial,  so  that 
he  might  have  some  real  punishment,  but  my  instruc 
tions  were  positive  and  prevented  me  from  doing  so. 
He  was  turned  over  to  the  civil  authorities,  who  tried 
him,  and,  I  afterwards  learned,  gave  him  a  couple  of 
years  in  jail!  Any  one  of  the  three  shots  he  received 
would  have  disabled  a  white  man,  and  two  of  them 
would  probably  have  proved  fatal. 

After  completing  the  inspection  of  Police,  I  ran 
down  to  visit  Jolo,  in  the  Sulu  group,  where  we  had  a 
large  garrison,  and  also  to  land  General  Sumner  and 
his  aide.  Here,  as  the  Moros  were  disposed  to  make 
trouble  on  the  least  provocation,  the  troops  had  to  be 
confined  pretty  closely  to  the  barracks.  The  Sultan  of 
Sulu  claimed  the  whole  country  as  his,  and  was  not  dis 
posed  to  acknowledge  the  authority  of  the  United 
States,  or  any  one  else,  for  that  matter.  He  was  defi 
ant,  quarrelsome,  and  ready  to  fight  on  the  least  provo 
cation.  He  had  often  beaten  the  Spanish  soldiers  sent 
against  him,  and  he  was  confident  he  could  do  the  same 
to  the  Americans  whenever  they  would  give  him  the 

236 


Tawi-Tawi  Islands 

chance.  When  the  time  finally  came  he  discovered  his 
mistake. 

One  of  the  playful  habits  of  these  particular  sav 
ages  was  that  PiJlljWjHtf1^  amuck."  A  warrior  would 
become  "  nuramentaoo,  as  they  called  it — crazy  for 
blood.  He  would  charge  into  a  crowd,  slashing  right 
and  left  with  his  long  knife,  and  would  continue  this 
amusement  until  some  one  either  killed  him  or  held  him 
until  he  was  bound.  Frequently  men,  women,  and  even 
children  were  killed  in  this  way.  Sometimes  one  of 
these  crazy  fanatics  would  run  amuck  among  our  sol 
diers,  but  he  generally  selected  those  who  were  not 
armed,  though  on  one  occasion,  I  was  told,  a  Sulu 
Moro,  "  huramentado,"  actually  charged  into  the  midst 
of  a  company  of  infantry  and  cut  down  several  men 
before  he  was  persuaded  to  be  good. 

Cholera  was  raging  all  about  Jolo  at  the  time  of 
my  visit,  which,  added  to  the  peculiar  characteristics 
of  the  natives,  made  it  anything  but  a  pleasant  place  to 
live  in!  Yet,  with  it  all,  the  officers  and  their  wives 
wore  pleasant  faces,  and  did  their  duty  without  a  whim 
per.  I  shall  always  recall  with  pleasure  the  charming 
dinner  I  enjoyed  at  the  house  of  Colonel  Wallace,  of 
the  cavalry,  who  commanded  the  post.  It  was  prepared 
by  his  wife,  and  came  almost  entirely  from  tins,  but  it 
was  the  best  dinner  I  had  in  the  Philippines. 

From  Jolo  we  ran  down  through  the  Tawi-Tawi 
group,  stopping  at  Siassi  and  Bungao.  The  former,  a 
two-company  post,  was  beautifully  located  in  a  grove 
of  ihlang  ihlang  trees,  the  perfume  from  the  flowers  of 
which  we  could  perceive  several  miles  at  sea.  Two 
married  officers  were  at  this  station,  their  splendid 

237 


An  Admiral's  Log 

wives  with  them,  calmly  facing  the  dangers  of  savages 
and  climate.  Bungao  was  the  southern  post  of  all, 
and  was  important  because  it  had  been  the  port  for 
smugglers  to  operate  from,  and  also  because  of  its 
proximity  to  the  coast  of  Borneo.  The  natives,  at 
least  the  few  of  them  I  saw,  were  very  black,  and 
seemed  less  intelligent  than  those  farther  north.  They 
lived  on  fish  or  fruit,  which  grew  in  great  profusion 
everywhere,  and  on  yams,  which  they  cultivated  in  small 
quantities.  As  a  rule,  they  were  peaceful,  and  carried 
on  trade  with  the  neighbouring  islands  and  Borneo,  ex 
changing  their  grass  mats  for  tobacco,  tea,  and  rum. 
In  two  days  I  saw  all  I  wanted  of  this  one  of  our  trop 
ical  possessions,  and  I  put  to  sea  and  ran  over  to  the 
coast  of  British  North  Borneo. 


CHAPTER    XX 

FROM    SINGAPORE   TO   TIENTSIN 

WE  arrived  at  Sandaken  the  following  day,  ex 
changed  salutes  with  the  fort,  called  on  the  governor, 
were  most  cordially  received  by  him,  and  I  dined  with 
him  that  evening.  Many  of  the  small  islands  lying  off 
the  coast  had  belonged  to  Borneo — at  least  they  had 
been  supposed  to  under  the  treaty  of  Paris,  by  which 
the  Philippines  had  come  into  our  possession.  Now 
that  we  had  them  all,  the  officials  of  Borneo  were 
watching  with  great  interest  to  see  the  results  of  our 
efforts  at  colonisation,  so  different  in  every  respect  from 
their  own.  They  were  old  at  the  business,  and  we  were 
absolutely  new.  It  was  plain  to  me,  during  the  dinner, 
that  our  methods  did  not  meet  the  entire  approval  of 
the  English  officials,  and  I  was  deeply  interested  in 
their  comments.  Many  of  the  things  they  foresaw 
came  to  pass  afterwards,  which  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at  when  one  considers  the  experience  that  they  had  had 
with  exactly  the  same  kind  of  people  we  were  experi 
menting  with. 

„  North  Borneo  furnished  a  great  quantity  of  fine 
building  lumber,  used  all  over  the  East  except  by  us. 
Ours  came  from  Oregon,  and  was  very  expensive.  One 
object  of  my  visit  to  Sandaken  was  to  look  into  this 
lumber  question.  We  had  in  the  Philippines  vast  for- 

239 


An  Admiral's  Log 

ests  of  hard  woods  of  various  kinds,  but  none  that  we 
could  use  for  building  purposes,  and  no  soft  wood  that 
the  white  ants  would  not  destroy  in  a  year.  If  the 
hard  wood  could  be  converted  into  lumber  and  brought 
into  market,  it  would  answer  the  purpose  admirably, 
although  it  did  seem  extravagant  to  build  houses  of 
ebony.  But,  beautiful  as  all  these  hard  woods  were, 
they  were  destined  to  remain  on  the  stump  for  a  long 
time.  It  required  two  things  to  move  them,  capital  and 
labour.  Capital  could  be  had,  for  large  profits  were 
assured;  but  the  labour  was  simply  unattainable.  The 
Philippines  could  not  furnish  it,  and  those  who  could, 
the  Chinese,  were  not  permitted  to  enter.  All  the  tim 
ber  about  the  seashore,  or  near  it,  had  been  used;  that 
along  the  rivers,  of  which  there  was  an  endless  supply, 
was  difficult  to  market.  It  was  too  heavy  to  float  when 
cut,  and  had  to  be  rafted  out  on  bamboo  rafts.  Some 
day  it  will  become  valuable,  when,  like  coal  mining 
and  other  industries,  labour  can  be  found  to  work  it. 

We  had  hopes,  at  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing, 
that  Congress  would  authorise  a  fine  naval  base  at 
Olongapo,  in  Subig  Bay,  and  I  wanted  to  be  in  posi 
tion  to  get  good  lumber  at  reasonable  prices  for  the  con 
struction  work.  All  my  work  was  for  nothing,  how 
ever,  as  we  are  as  far  from  a  naval  base  in  the  East  as 
we  were  then. 

Several  companies  at  Sandaken,  operating  sawmills, 
were  prepared  to  furnish  lumber  of  any  kind  and  qual^- 
ity,  but,  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  were  compelled  to 
raft  and  tow  their  logs  to  the  mills,  their  prices  were 
high.  At  Jesselton,  on  the  west  coast  of  Borneo,  a 
reliable  company  was  prepared  to  furnish  what  we 

240 


In  British  North  Borneo 

wanted  at  most  reasonable  rates,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
they  ran  a  road  into  the  jungle,  felled  the  trees,  and, 
with  a  portable  sawmill,  converted  them  into  lumber, 
which  they  hauled  back  over  the  road  to  a  shipping 
point.  As  the  trees  were  exhausted  the  road  was  ex 
tended  back  into  the  jungle,  thus  securing  an  ample 
supply.  This  company  was  prepared  to  make  a  contract 
with  us  to  supply  lumber  and  piling  guaranteed  to 
withstand  the  attacks  of  white  ants,  teredo,  and  other 
wood-destroying  insects  so  troublesome  and  destructive 
in  the  tropics.  A  long  report,  covering  all  these  facts, 
was  sent  to  the  Navy  Department,  where  it  has,  no 
doubt,  quietly  rested  in  some  dusty  pigeonhole  ever 
since. 

Leaving  Sandaken  in  the  Zafiro,  we  made  our  way 
through  a  network  of  shoals  and  reefs  to  Victoria, 
Labuan,  the  home  of  that  wonderful  man,  Rajah 
Brooke,  who  may  be  fairly  said  to  have  made  British 
North  Borneo  the  rich,  producing  country  it  is.  His 
treatment  of  the  natives  and  his  success  with  them  are 
an  example  of  what  a  well-equipped  white  man  can  do 
with  a  dependent  race  of  people.  I  was  most  courte 
ously  received  by  all  the  officers,  who  gave  me  any  in 
formation  I  sought  in  the  most  friendly  way.  After  a 
delightful  visit  of  four  days,  I  joined  the  Kentucky  and 
sailed  for  Singapore,  where  we  arrived  during  the  lat 
ter  part  of  March.  It  had  been  my  intention  to  visit 
Saigon  at  this  time ;  but,  finding  it  impossible  to  do  so, 
I  sent  the  New  Orleans  there,  with  orders  to  join  me 
later  at  Hong  Kong. 

Singapore  is  to  me  one  of  the  best  places  in  the 
East  for  a  man-of-war  to  visit.  The  climate  is  very 

241 


An  Admiral's  Log 

hot,  but  the  nights  are  always  cool.  The  city  has  many 
attractions  for  enlisted  men,  as  well  as  for  officers,  and 
the  police  see  that  the  men  are  not  abused  or  cheated. 
The  health  authorities  never  ask  for  a  bill  of  health,  be 
cause,  having  about  every  disease  known  themselves, 
they  are  not  afraid  of  what  may  be  brought  them ! 

When  the  official  calls  had  been  made,  I  accepted 
the  invitation  of  the  governor  for  myself  and  flag  lieu 
tenant  to  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  Government  House 
during  our  stay  in  port.  The  Kentucky  was  coaling, 
the  hotels  were  crowded,  and  this  invitation  assured  me 
a  most  comfortable  rest.  The  governor,  Sir  Frank  A. 
Swettenham,  had  grown  up  in  the  Indian  service,  and 
at  the  time  of  my  visit,  though  still  a  young  man,  was 
governor  of  the  Straits  Settlements,  a  most  important 
and  responsible  position.  I  shall  never  forget  his  cour 
tesy  to  me  during  the  days  I  spent  under  his  roof  enjoy 
ing  his  gracious  hospitality.  Singapore  was  noted, 
among  other  things,  for  the  excellence  of  its  curry,  a 
dish  of  which  I  am  very  fond.  I  have  eaten  it  in  all 
parts  of  the  world — curried  meat,  curried  eggs,  curried 
fish,  and  curried  vegetables — but  one  taste  of  it  at  Sir 
Frank's  table  satisfied  me  that  I  had  never  before  en 
joyed  the  real  article.  It  was  so  good  that  I  find  it 
impossible  to  describe  it.  I  asked  that  my  cook  from 
the  Kentucky  might  see  it  prepared,  and  was  surprised 
when  I  learned  that  it  took  three  native  Indians  two 
days  to  get  a  dish  of  it  ready  to  serve.  I  have  never 
enjoyed  a  visit  elsewhere  as  much  as  I  did  this  one  to 
Government  House,  Singapore,  and  I  left  the  harbour 
with  great  regret. 

After  leaving  Singapore  we  ran  up  to  Hong  Kong, 
242 


A  Russian  Squadron  in  Japan 

where  we  found  the  Oregon,  the  New  Orleans,  and  the 
Helena.  The  plague  was  raging  with  such  violence 
that  I  deemed  it  prudent  to  remain  only  a  short  time. 
The  Navy  Department  was  anxious  about  a  coaling  sta 
tion  at  Amoy,  and  to  give  them  the  information  they 
desired  I  proceeded  with  the  squadron  to  that  port.  On 
investigation  I  found  that  our  vice-consul  had  leased  a 
piece  of  land  from  the  Chinese  owners  and  proposed  to 
make  it  pay  a  good  return  by  inducing  the  Navy  De 
partment  to  establish  on  it  a  coaling  station.  He  was 
doomed  to  disappointment,  however,  as  the  board  of 
officers  ordered  to  survey  the  land  and  report  on  its 
fitness  for  the  purpose  decided  that  it  was  not  a  desir 
able  place  for  a  coaling  plant.  The  offer  of  the  whole 
harbour  for  nothing  having  been  declined,  it  was  now 
proposed  by  some  one,  probably  the  vice-consul,  that 
we  should  pay  a  round  sum  for  a  small  part  of  an  out- 
of-the-way  rocky  island! 

After  completing  the  work  at  Amoy,  I  stood  up  the 
coast,  exercising  constantly  at  tactical  drills,  anchored 
in  a  dense  fog  for  three  days  off  the  mouth  of  the 
Yangtze,  and  then  continued  on  to  Nagasaki,  where  I 
found  a  large  Russian  squadron  assembled.  Cholera 
was  raging,  but  the  Russians  did  not  seem  to  mind  that ; 
they  were  watching  the  Japanese  making  a  demonstra 
tion  to  show  how  strong  they  were  on  the  water.  It 
was  only  a  short  time  before  they  found  out  how  futile 
their  mission  had  been — that  the  Japanese  actually 
laughed  at  Russian  sea  power.  There  was  a  young 
Prince  on  the  Russian  flagship ;  on  his  staff  were  intel 
ligent  officers  of  experience.  Why  they  did  not  see,  as 
the  rest  of  us  did,  that  war  was  inevitable  and  almost 

243 


An  Admiral's  Log 

upon  them  was  more  than  I  could  understand.  Every 
Russian  officer  I  met  made  the  same  grave  mistake; 
they  all  underrated  their  enemy,  and  believed  that 
Japan  was  afraid  to  go  to  war  with  them.  The  prepa 
rations  for  war  were  so  evident  and  so  earnest  that  any 
reasonably  intelligent  observer  should  have  seen  them. 
The  crowded  condition  of  the  harbour,  added  to  the 
danger  from  cholera,  made  our  visit  a  short  one,  and 
we  continued  on  to  Yokohama,  where  we  arrived  dur 
ing  the  latter  part  of  April. 

It  was  now  time  to  give  shore  leave  to  officers  and 
men.  Our  cruise  south  had  necessarily  brought  much 
discomfort  and  hardship,  but  it  never  produced  com 
plaint.  All  saw  the  necessity  for  hard  work,  and  they 
knew  that  when  the  time  came  they  would  be  allowed 
every  possible  chance  to  enjoy  themselves.  As  many 
officers  as  could  be  spared  from  duty  were  given  ten 
days'  leave  at  a  time,  which  permitted  them  to  travel 
and  see  something  of  this  most  interesting  country. 
Parties  of  enlisted  men,  in  charge  of  the  chaplain  or 
some  other  suitable  officer,  went  to  different  places  for 
periods  of  four  or  five  days.  Some  of  these  parties 
numbered  as  many  as  two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three 
hundred  men.  Their  conduct  on  such  occasions  was 
excellent  and  the  impression  they  made  most  favour 
able.  The  old  idea  that  a  bluejacket  must  get  drunk 
and  make  trouble  every  time  he  goes  on  shore  was 
thoroughly  discounted.  The  men  went  and  came  just 
as  the  officers  did,  and  it  was  rare  indeed  that  it  became 
necessary  to  award  punishment  for  bad  conduct  on 
shore.  When  it  was  necessary  it  came  sharp  and  quick, 
and  the  knowledge  that  it  was  sure  to  come  just 

244 


A  Visit  to  Kioto 

as  certainly  as  the  reward  for  good  conduct  would, 
had  an  excellent  influence  throughout  the  fleet.  In  ad 
dition,  the  men  preferred  to  behave  themselves  well. 
Bringing  the  ships  together  produced  emulation  in  this 
respect,  as  well  as  in  others. 

When  opportunity  offered  I  took  my  leave,  and 
with  my  family  and  members  of  my  staff  visited  Kioto, 
the  old  capital  of  Japan,  stopping  over  at  Nagoya 
long  enough  to  visit  the  old  castle  and  the  potteries, 
which  are  among  the  finest  in  the  country.  It  was  at 
Nagoya  that  the  war  preparations  were  most  striking. 
Constant  drilling  and  marching  of  the  men,  while  the 
women,  in  their  places,  gathered  the  crops  and  tilled 
the  soil,  indicated  clearly  what  was  to  come.  There 
was  no  boasting  or  show  about  it,  only  hard  work, 
with  quiet,  determined  faces  on  all  sides.  At  Kioto 
our  party  secured  quarters  at  a  hotel  so  situated  as  to 
give  us  an  excellent  view  of  the  city.  Our  beds  were 
comfortable,  our  food  quite  good  enough,  and  the  serv 
ice  all  that  could  be  desired.  From  this  comfortable  base 
we  planned  and  carried  out  many  delightful  expedi 
tions  to  various  points  of  interest. 

The  city  is  a  veritable  storehouse  of  valuable  and 
historic  souvenirs  of  Japanese  progress  and  civilisation. 
The  temples  are  among  the  oldest  and  finest  in  the 
kingdom,  the  silk  manufactures  probably  the  best  in  the 
world,  and  the  dealers  in  ceramics  well  supplied  with 
the  most  valuable  articles  in  their  line,  for  which  they 
charged  the  most  exorbitant  prices,  but  were  reasonable 
as  soon  as  we  showed  them  that  we  knew  what  the 
things  were  worth.  Everything,  from  a  lapdog  to  a 
Satsuma  teacup,  was  offered  for  sale  and,  I  must  admit, 
17  245 


An  Admiral's  Log 

purchased  by  some  member  of  the  party  before  we  left. 
Among  the  most  interesting  sights  in  Kioto  were  the 
looms,  where  valuable  silks,  some  of  them  worth  a  hun 
dred  dollars  a  yard,  were  being  made.  Old-fashioned 
looms,  in  use  for  centuries,  handled  by  women,  turned 
out  fabrics  the  equal  of  which  cannot  be  found  else 
where  in  the  world.  Gold  and  silver  threads  were  used  in 
some  of  them,  and  the  completed  fabric  was  so  stiff  when 
finished  that  it  would  stand  alone.  A  beautiful  moun 
tain  stream  ran  through  the  city  which,  if  properly  har 
nessed,  would  have  produced  power  enough  to  run  any 
number  of  mills,  but  this  would  have  thrown  many 
women  out  of  employment.  Rather  than  do  this  the 
old  looms  were  continued  in  use.  Many  of  the  fabrics 
so  made  appeared  afterwards  at  the  court  ceremonies 
in  Tokio.  Some  of  them,  no  doubt,  might  be  seen  at 
similar  ceremonies  in  London,  Paris,  and  Washington. 

Upon  my  return  to  Yokohama,  at  the  expiration  of 
my  leave  of  absence,  hard  work  again  stared  me  in  the 
face.  All  the  vessels  of  the  northern  division,  and  as 
many  as  could  be  spared  from  the  southern  one,  had 
been  ordered  to  assemble  at  Chefoo  for  target  practice 
and  fleet  manoeuvres.  The  Kentucky  was  docked  and 
necessary  repairs  made.  All  the  ships  were  put  in  con 
dition  for  immediate  service,  and  early  in  June  assem 
bled  at  Chefoo. 

The  rivalry  in  the  fleet  over  the  coming  target  prac 
tice  was  great,  promising  excellent  results.  That  all 
the  vessels  might  have  a  fair  chance  to  win,  I  suspended 
all  drills  except  those  with  the  guns,  and  ordered  that 
all  possible  time  should  be  devoted  to  ping-pong  prac 
tice.  While  this  was  in  progress  I  made  my  contem- 

246 


Off  the  Taku  Bar 

plated  visit  to  Pekin  for  an  audience  with  her  Majesty, 
the  Empress  Dowager.  The  Kentucky  and  the  Helena 
anchored  off  the  Taku  bar,  the  latter  as  close  in  as  the 
depth  of  water  would  admit,  and  a  tug  was  chartered 
to  convey  the  party,  consisting  of  my  staff  and  a  few 
selected  officers,  to  the  railroad  station  on  the  river 
above  Taku.  The  sea  was  very  rough,  the  tug  small 
and  almost  unseaworthy,  and  to  get  on  board  of  her 
was  no  easy  job.  We  managed  it,  however,  by  the  use 
of  lifeboats,  and,  wet  to  the  skin,  started  for  the  bar, 
where  the  sea  was  breaking  in  a  way  to  promise  us  a 
good  shaking  up,  if  nothing  more  serious.  On  the 
bridge  with  the  Chinese  pilot  seemed  the  most  promis 
ing  place  in  which  to  keep  dry,  and  at  the  same  time 
have  a  chance  to  swim  if  she  capsized,  and  there  I  took 
my  place.  Our  trunks,  containing  our  full-dress  uni 
forms,  were  put  below,  where  they  would  be  compara 
tively  safe.  Before  we  reached  the  bar  the  tug  behaved 
so  badly,  rolling  and  pitching  in  a  dangerous  way,  that 
the  Chinese  captain  proposed  to  put  about  and  run  back 
to  the  ships.  This  did  not  promise  well  to  me,  so  I 
ordered  him  to  run  his  engines  slowly  and  pay  more 
attention  to  his  boat.  He  was  so  badly  scared  that  he 
was  likely  to  let  her  fall  off  into  the  trough  of  the  sea 
at  any  moment,  and  I  knew  that  would  be  fatal.  Just 
before  we  reached  the  bar  I  sent  the  tug  ahead  at  full 
speed,  and  we  went  through  the  breaking  sea  rather 
than  over  it.  For  a  moment  the  wretched  little  boat 
stood  on  end,  and  then,  with  one  jump,  landed  on  the 
inside  of  the  bar,  where  the  water  was  smooth.  We 
were  safe,  but  a  wetter  or  more  bedraggled  lot  of  offi 
cers  I  never  saw. 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

At  the  railroad  station  we  found  fairly  comfortable 
accommodations  in  a  train  on  the  new  road  to  Tientsin, 
in  charge  of  Chinese  officials.  When  we  had  run  a 
short  distance  through  the  salt  fields,  where  most  of  the 
salt  used  in  the  East  is  dried  out  from  sea  water  and 
prepared  for  the  market,  a  dust  storm  shut  down  on 
us,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  distance  we  saw  little  except 
the  black  pall  of  dust  that  surrounded  the  train,  pene 
trating  our  clothing,  our  eyes,  and  our  throats.  In 
some  cases  it  even  penetrated  our  tempers!  The  road 
ran  through  the  country  over  which  the  foreign  troops 
marched  to  the  relief  of  Pekin  during  the  Boxer 
troubles,  and  it  was  full  of  interest  for  that  reason,  as 
well  as  many  others,  but  we  saw  little  of  it.  We 
passed  many  camps  of  foreign  troops  which  had  the  ap 
pearance  of  permanent  occupation,  but  whenever  I 
asked  how  long  they  would  remain,  the  officers  an 
swered,  "  We  will  leave  after  the  indemnity  is  paid ! " 
How  long  after  they  did  not  specify.  In  some  cases  it 
was  a  few  weeks,  in  others  the  soldiers  are  there  yet. 

Upon  reaching  Tientsin  we  were  rattled  off  to  a 
very  good  hotel — the  Astor  House  Hotel — in  vehicles 
that  would  not  be  employed  in  New  York  or  London. 
There  was  no  choice  between  them  and  walking.  The 
following  morning  we  were  joined  by  the  ladies  of  our 
families,  who  had  come  to  Taku  by  mail  steamer,  had 
been  landed  in  comfort,  and  had  escaped  the  discom 
forts  of  the  dust  storm.  When  it  was  known  that  we 
were  in  the  city,  many  foreign  officers  called  to  pay 
their  respects  and  to  invite  us  to  visit  their  camps, 
which  we  did  later.  I  was  curious  to  hear  from  these 
highly  decorated  and  gorgeously  uniformed  officers 

248 


At  Tientsin 

their  impressions  of  the  American  troops  who  had 
marched  with  them  to  Pekin.  All  of  them  had  only 
words  of  praise  for  our  men,  but  I  only  succeeded  in 
getting  from  one  of  them  anything  like  an  opinion  in 
detail.  This  was  a  German  officer  of  rank,  who  praised 
particularly  the  discipline  of  our  cavalry.  He  said  he 
had  visited  the  camp  of  this  regiment  after  pay  day,  and 
found  many  evidences  of  hard  drinking,  but  there  was 
not  a  trooper  among  the  lot  but  managed  somehow  to 
stand  on  his  feet  and  salute  as  the  group  of  officers 
passed!  He  was  sure  that  such  would  not  have  been 
the  case  with  other  foreign  troops  in  the  same  condi 
tion. 

We  spent  one  day  in  Tientsin  to  see  some  of  the 
curious  features  of  the  historic  place.  Securing  com 
fortable  sedan  chairs  with  trustworthy  Chinese  bearers, 
we  visited  the  old  native  city,  which  had  caused  so 
much  trouble  and  bloodshed  to  the  troops  marching  to 
the  relief  of  the  legation  in  Pekin.  It  will  be  recalled 
that  a  high  wall  surrounded  the  city,  and  that  it  was 
against  this  that  the  Ninth  United  States  Infantry  was 
sent  in  a  desperate  charge  after  the  Japanese  had 
blown  down  the  gate.  The  place  was  carried  by  our 
men  and  the  English  troops,  who  throughout  the  expe 
dition  fraternised  with  them  and  joined  them  in  this 
charge.  The  gallant  colonel  of  the  Ninth  was  killed  in 
advance  of  his  men,  and  a  small  stone  monument  now 
marks  the  spot  where  he  fell.  In  future  this  great  wall 
will  give  no  trouble,  for  it  was  completely  blown  up 
and  removed  after  the  capture  of  the  city  and  a  fine, 
wide  boulevard  constructed  on  its  site.  The  Germans, 
who  were  given  control  of  the  place  when  it  surren- 

249 


An  Admiral's  Log 

dered,  saw  that  the  work  was  thoroughly  done,  and, 
consequently,  we  passed  entirely  around  the  old  Chi 
nese  city  on  a  wide,  well-paved  street,  scowled  at  by  the 
natives,  but  not  molested  or  threatened.  The  great 
Chinese  gun  plant  at  Tientsin,  which  had  for  years 
made  all  the  guns  for  the  army  and  navy,  was  a  wreck, 
as  were  also  the  batteries  that  had  defended  it.  What 
had  not  been  destroyed  by  artillery  fire  had  afterwards 
been  treated  with  dynamite,  and  the  destruction  was 
complete.  Much  valuable  machinery  had  been  saved 
and  sent  to  the  site  of  a  new  establishment  on  the 
Yangtze.  The  Russians  had  removed  many  of  the  best 
guns  from  here  and  the  Taku  forts,  with  enormous 
quantities  of  ammunition,  to  their  newly  constructed 
forts  at  Port  Arthur. 

The  American  troops  had  all  been  withdrawn  from 
China  except  a  guard  of  one  hundred  men  of  the  Ninth 
Infantry  who  remained  at  Pekin.  About  every  other 
nation  had  troops  both  at  Pekin  and  Tientsin.  I  no 
ticed  particularly  the  camps  of  the  Japanese,  who  had  a 
brigade  of  infantry  just  outside  the  old  Chinese  city  of 
Tientsin — fine,  sturdy-looking,  brown  chaps,  who  were 
ready  at  a  moment's  notice  for  any  kind  of  work  they 
might  be  called  on  to  do.  Before  the  assault  on  the 
great  wall,  before  mentioned,  a  party  of  these  men  had 
been  sent  to  blow  in  the  main  gate.  The  dynamite 
charge  was  fixed  in  place  and  the  fuse  lighted,  but  it 
failed  to  explode  it.  One  of  the  men  ran  forward,  fired 
his  rifle  into  the  charge,  went  to  pieces  with  the  gate, 
and  was  buried  under  its  debris.  In  the  German  camp 
were  several  fine  regiments  of  infantry,  large,  heavy- 
looking  men,  apparently  twice  the  size  of  the  Japanese, 

250 


German  Troops  in  China 

well  uniformed  and  equipped,  and  commanded  by  offi 
cers  who  had  been  thoroughly  trained  in  their  busi 
ness.  They  were  in  control  of  Tientsin,  and  we  saw 
more  of  them  about  the  streets  than  of  others,  as  they 
patrolled  the  foreign  settlement  and  kept  order. 

The  foreign  settlement  was  in  marked  contrast  to 
the  filthy,  dilapidated  Chinese  city.  There  were  many 
beautiful  houses,  nearly  all  of  which  showed  by  the 
shell  marks  on  their  walls  how  desperate  had  been  the 
attempts  of  the  Chinese  batteries  to  destroy  them.  Too 
much  credit  cannot  be  given  to  the  companies  of  for 
eigners,  merchants,  clerks,  etc.,  who  volunteered  to 
defend  the  city,  and  did  defend  it  until  the  foreign 
troops  arrived  and  relieved  them.  Many  of  them  were 
killed  and  many  more  so  badly  wounded  that  they  will 
remain  invalids  the  rest  of  their  lives. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

AUDIENCE   WITH   THE   EMPRESS   DOWAGER 

FROM  Tientsin  we  continued  to  Pekin.  No  dust 
storm  came  our  way,  and  we  were  able  to  pick  out  the 
various  points  of  interest  as  we  progressed.  The  rail 
road  built  by  the  Germans  ran  through  an  opening  in 
the  outer  wall  of  the  city,  and  landed  us  directly  in 
front  of  and  only  a  few  yards  from  the  great  east 
gate  of  the  new  city.  This  gate  was  the  one  cap 
tured  and  held  by  the  American  troops.  From  the 
top  of  the  great  wall  over  it  Riley's  battery  of 
field  artillery  was  firing  at  the  gates  of  the  sacred 
city  when  that  gallant  officer  lost  his  life.  He  was  the 
only  man  of  the  command  who  was  struck,  and  no  one 
could  tell  where  the  bullet  came  from  that  killed  him. 
Our  minister  to  China  met  us  on  our  arrival,  and  was 
good  enough  to  insist  on  our  staying  with  him  in  the 
legation,  an  old  Chinese  temple,  during  our  visit. 

As  we  passed  through  the  gate — the  wall  is  sixty 
feet  thick — what  we  saw  was  most  revolting.  Lepers 
were  lying  about,  their  swollen,  suppurating  sores  ex 
posed  to  view,  begging  of  those  who  passed;  others, 
sick  with  various  diseases,  were  in  evidence,  and  beg 
gars  without  number  whined  at  our  elbows  and  begged 
for  alms.  Dogs  by  the  dozen  barked  and  snarled,  ugly, 
mangy  curs  of  all  breeds,  that  looked  as  if  they  had 

252 


Visit   to    Pekin 

never  had  enough  to  eat — such  dogs  as  one  sometimes 
sees  in  a  fevered  dream.  It  was  only  a  short  distance 
to  the  residence  of  the  minister,  where  we  were  made 
comfortable  and  happy  by  the  courteous  hospitality  of 
him  and  his  wife.  Our  quarters  in  the  temple  were 
comfortable  in  many  ways.  The  beds  were  delightful, 
and  we  could  have  enjoyed  sleep  had  it  not  been  for 
three  things — dogs,  rats,  and  mosquitoes;  the  dogs 
barked  all  night,  the  mosquitoes  bit  at  all  hours,  and  the 
rats  raced  over  the  floors  and  beds  until  sleep  was  out 
of  the  question. 

A  short  walk  after  luncheon  showed  us  how  bitter 
the  struggle  had  been  to  prevent  the  Boxers  from  cap 
turing  the  legation  and  surrounding  grounds.  Bullet 
marks  everywhere;  in  places  walls  more  than  a  foot 
thick  entirely  shot  away,  and  others  so  pitted  with  bul 
lets  that  a  finger  could  not  be  put  on  a  sound  place. 
One  might  expect  to  see  this  condition  in  a  small  space 
that  had  been  subjected  to  a  hot  fire;  but  here  it  was  the 
same  for  several  miles  over  the  whole  of  the  English, 
American,  and  Japanese  legations.  Other  foreign  com 
pounds  were  badly  scarred,  but  these  were  the  worst 
because  the  fighting  in  and  about  them  was  the  fiercest. 
Before  the  siege  was  raised,  all  foreigners  retreated  to 
the  English  legation,  and,  of  course,  the  greatest  de 
struction  was  done  there.  At  the  time  of  my  visit 
many  of  the  legations  had  been  rebuilt,  most  of  them 
so  constructed  as  to  offer  real  resistance  in  case  of  at 
tack,  with  proper  quarters  for  the  legation  guard.  The 
new  English  legation  was  almost  like  a  fortress.  A 
heavy,  loop-holed  wall  had  been  built  around  the  entire 
grounds,  except  in  one  place,  where  the  old  wall  was 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

left  intact.  On  this  was  inscribed  in  large  black  letters 
"  Lest  we  forget."  The  new  American  legation  was 
built  out  in  the  open,  where  the  mob  will  have  an  easy 
time  capturing  it  when  the  time  comes!  The  barracks 
for  the  company  of  the  Ninth  Infantry,  which  formed 
the  legation  guard,  were  close  to  the  legation,  and  with 
out  protection  of  any  kind.  The  people  of  Pekin  had 
had  their  lesson,  surely  a  very  severe  one,  and  foreigners 
were  safe  there  for  a  long  time  to  come,  but  history  has 
repeated  itself  so  often  in  China  that  I  think  we  may 
look  for  more  trouble  in  the  course  of  time.  It  would 
have  been  better,  I  think,  when  building  our  new  lega 
tion,  if  we  had  made  it  strong  enough  to  protect  our 
people  in  case  of  necessity. 

Close  by  our  legation  site  was  the  great  city  wall, 
where  the  handful  of  American  marines — there  were 
less  than  one  hundred  of  them — did  such  splendid  serv 
ice.  The  breastworks  and  barricades  had  been  removed 
at  the  time  of  my  visit,  but  one  could  easily  trace  their 
lines.  Standing  as  I  did  on  the  spot,  with  all  the  sur 
roundings  in  plain  sight,  it  seemed  marvellous  that 
these  men  could  have  resisted  the  attacks  made  on  them 
by  such  vastly  superior  numbers.  Yet  they  did  it,  and 
by  so  doing  saved  the  lives  of  those  committed  to  their 
care,  and  reflected  great  honour  on  their  splendid  corps. 
At  one  point  the  Chinese  soldiers  worked  their  way, 
under  cover,  to  the  very  end  of  our  barricade,  within  a 
few  yards  of  our  men.  They  were  preparing  to  charge 
the  position  in  flank,  when  the  marines  took  the  offen 
sive,  charged  into  the  Chinese  trenches,  and  with  their 
bayonets  drove  the  Boxers  more  than  half  a  mile.  A 
few  marines  were  killed  or  wounded,  but  the  Chinese 

254 


During  the  Siege  of  Pekin 

suffered  severely.  Their  dead  were  piled  in  great 
numbers  on  the  wall,  where  the  decaying  bodies  soon 
became  a  great  menace  to  the  health  of  our  men.  This 
handful  of  marines  held  their  position  day  after  day 
and  night  after  night,  until  their  diminished  number 
forced  them  to  retire  to  the  English  legation,  where  all 
foreign  residents  were  assembled,  protected  by  the  com 
bined  legation  guards.  Here  they  fought  heroically 
until  the  arrival  of  the  relief  expedition. 

During  the  worst  days  of  the  siege  the  English  flag 
covered  the  sick  and  wounded  from  all  the  legations. 
The  question  of  food  and  medical  supplies  was  a  most 
serious  one — one  that  gave  grave  concern  to  those  in 
charge.  Grown  people  could,  and  did,  stand  the  strain 
without  complaint,  but  the  children  soon  fell  ill,  and 
were  the  source  of  great  anxiety.  The  wife  of  the 
English  minister  had  all  these  children  in  charge.  Her 
hens,  of  which  she  had  but  a  small  number,  laid  a  few 
eggs  every  day,  and  these  were  carefully  preserved  for 
the  use  of  the  sick  children.  One  day  the  wife  of  a 
minister  begged  to  be  given  a  fresh  egg,  and,  suppos 
ing  that  it  was  for  some  sick  child,  her  request  was 
granted.  Afterwards  it  was  learned  that  the  egg  was 
used  for  washing  the  lady's  hair !  It  is  unnecessary  to 
name  the  nationality  of  the  lady — that  can  be  easily 
guessed — but  she  did  not  get  any  more  fresh  eggs. 

When  my  arrival  had  been  duly  reported  to  her,  the 
Empress  Dowager  requested,  through  our  minister,  a 
copy  of  the  speech  I  was  going  to  make  at  the  coming 
audience,  that  it  might  be  translated  and  duly  consid 
ered.  The  following  day  her  reply  to  my  speech  was 
received,  translated,  and  stowed  away.  Then  the  offi- 

255 


An  Admiral's  Log 

cial  calls  on  foreign  representatives  were  made,  which 
took  the  better  part  of  two  days,  and  I  was  ready  for 
the  audience  which  had  been  arranged  for  me. 

The  imperial  court  was  at  the  summer  palace,  ten 
or  twelve  miles  from  Pekin,  and  to  this  spot  we  must 
journey  in  proper  green  chairs  carried  on  the  shoulders 
of  native  coolies.  We  should  have  been  much  more 
comfortable  in  some  wheeled  vehicle  drawn  by  horses, 
certainly  would  have  made  the  trip  in  half  the  time,  but 
etiquette  required  that  we  go  in  green  chairs,  so  in  them 
we  went,  I  in  one,  my  wife  in  another,  the  minister  in 
another,  and  so  on  until  we  made  quite  a  procession  of 
green  chairs.  We  left  our  temple  in  the  morning  in 
time  to  arrive  at  our  destination  before  noon.  We  were 
escorted  by  a  number  of  Chinese  cavalrymen  mounted 
on  ponies.  Their  appearance  was  grotesque.  They 
seemed  to  take  turns  in  falling;  sometimes  the  pony 
would  fall  and  spill  his  rider  into  the  road,  but  more 
frequently  the  rider  would  fall  off,  generally  over  the 
animal's  head.  Those  in  front  of  us  yelled  incessantly 
at  the  people  in  the  streets  to  get  out  of  our  way, 
which  they  did  promptly,  or  were  banged  over  the  head 
with  a  stick.  As  we  passed  in  this  way  through  mile 
after  mile  of  the  city,  I  was  thoroughly  interested  by 
what  I  saw.  At  times  we  passed  what  seemed  to  be  the 
remains  of  houses  after  a  fire,  but  there  had  been  no 
fire.  A  Chinese,  wishing  a  new  house,  builds  one,  but 
rarely  tears  down  the  old  one;  he  leaves  it  standing, 
and  after  a  time  only  the  walls  remain;  the  weather 
removes  the  rest  of  it.  This  gives  the  city,  in  places, 
the  appearance  of  having  been  burned  over.  None  of 
the  streets  were  paved,  and  the  dust  kicked  up  by  the 

256 


The  Looting  at  Pekin 

mass  of  people  moving*  about  was  stifling,  while  the 
noise  of  the  yelping  dogs  and  the  swearing  guard  fairly 
deafened  one.  The  smells  were  those  usually  encoun 
tered  in  Chinese  cities,  and  cannot  be  found  elsewhere. 
When  the  city  was  captured  and  occupied  by  the 
relief  expedition  it  was  divided  into  districts,  the  troops 
of  each  nation  taking  charge  of  a  district  to  preserve 
order  and,  if  possible,  to  prevent  looting  and  fires.  The 
flag  of  the  nation  having  charge  was  displayed  at  the 
corners  of  the  streets,  and  small  ones  tacked  on  the 
doors  of  the  houses  by  the  people  who  wished  protec 
tion.  In  this  way  any  one  moving  about  the  city  could 
tell  at  a  glance  what  nation  had  jurisdiction  of  the  par 
ticular  section  he  was  in.  Some  of  the  troops  looted 
houses  and  stores  right  and  left  as  soon  as  they  were 
in  possession,  while  others  were  not  permitted  this  lux 
ury.  Among  the  latter  were  the  American  troops,  and 
when  this  became  known  the  people  generally  tacked 
American  flags  on  their  houses,  thus  claiming  protec 
tion.  Evidence  of  this  was  still  to  be  seen  as  we  were 
carried  through  the  portion  of  the  city  held  by  our  men 
— the  flags  were  still  on  many  of  the  doors.  The  pub 
lished  stories  of  the  looting  of  Pekin  by  foreign  troops 
were  grossly  exaggerated.  The  city  was  undoubtedly 
looted,  pretty  thoroughly  at  that,  but  it  was  done  in 
most  cases  by  Chinese  soldiers  and  the  gang  of  outlaws 
that  always  seems  to  be  on  hand  for  such  occasions.  It 
is  true  that  some  of  the  foreigners  looted — such  is  their 
custom  with  captured  cities — but,  as  a  rule,  the  loot  that 
was  carried  away  from  Pekin  by  the  relief  army  was 
bought  or  taken  forcibly  from  the  Chinese  who  had 
done  the  looting  in  the  first  place.  The  conduct  of 

257 


An  Admiral's  Log 

some  of  the  foreign  troops  was  brutal  and  savage,  but 
not  so  bad  as  represented  by  the  press. 

We  passed  out  through  the  great  gate,  captured  by 
the  Japanese  troops  in  the  assault  on  the  city,  on  our 
way  to  the  summer  palace.  Here  there  was  still  a 
guard  of  Japanese  troops,  who  preserved  the  strictest 
order.  The  wall  all  about  the  gate  showed  the  effect  of 
the  Japanese  artillery  fire  before  the  infantry  regiments 
were  sent  to  scale  it.  Hundreds  of  shells  had  struck  it; 
it  was  fairly  honeycombed  with  shells;  but  in  no  case 
that  I  noticed  had  they  completely  penetrated  the  wall. 

Once  out  into  the  open  country,  the  scene  changed 
entirely.  The  level,  black-looking  land  was,  or  had 
been,  carefully  cultivated,  and  the  green  fields  offered 
some  relief  to  our  eyes,  which  were  smarting  from  the 
clouds  of  dust  surrounding  us.  The  road  over  which 
we  passed  had  been  in  use  two  thousand  years  or  more. 
It  had  been  paved  with  great  blocks  of  stone  at  one 
time,  but  these  had  become  somewhat  displaced,  leaving 
holes  filled  with  fine,  pulverized  dust,  which  rose  in 
clouds  as  the  coolies  tramped  through  it.  Along  the 
middle  of  the  road  I  noticed  a  ribbon  of  yellow  sand. 
Yellow  is  the  royal  Chinese  colour,  and  this  ribbon  of 
sand  was  official  notice  that  the  Emperor,  or  some 
member  of  the  royal  family,  would  pass  over  the  road 
that  day,  and  common  people  must  keep  out  of  the  way. 
Notice  by  yellow  sand  is  always  given  when  any  mem 
ber  of  the  imperial  family  is  to  venture  into  the  country. 
As  we  progressed,  the  escort  of  the  Empress  was  seen 
coming  our  way.  We  were  sidetracked  at  a  safe  dis 
tance,  and  when  they  had  passed  we  resumed  our 
journey. 

258 


The  Empress    Dowager  of  China 

When  we  arrived,  the  summer  palace  seemed 
crowded  with  officials  and  eunuchs,  but  I  was  afterwards 
told  that  there  were  only  about  two  thousand  of  the 
latter,  the  usual  number  to  guard  the  palace.  Curious- 
looking,  heavy,  stalwart  men,  these  eunuchs,  with  lead 
ers  whose  keen,  tricky-looking  eyes  were  set  too  close 
together  for  my  liking.  None  of  them  indeed  was  the 
kind  of  man  I  would  select  for  a  post  of  trust,  but  as 
far  as  I  know  they  were  faithful  to  her  Majesty.  The 
fear  of  a  deep  well  or  an  opium  pill  may  have  been  re 
sponsible  for  this.  I  positively  distrusted,  even  dis 
liked,  the  whole  gang  from  the  moment  I  first  laid  eyes 
on  them,  and  I  found  this  was  the  feeling  entertained 
by  most  of  the  officers  who  were  with  me. 

Everything  was  in  readiness  for  our  reception.  As 
soon  as  we  could  change  into  special  full-dress  uniform 
we  were  ushered  into  the  royal  presence.  I  had  selected 
the  officers  to  accompany  me — tall,  fine-looking  men — 
and  when  we  stood  in  a  row  facing  her  I  felt  sure  the 
Empress  Dowager  had  not  often  seen  a  more  business 
like-looking  lot  of  officers.  She  was  seated  on  her 
throne,  beautifully  dressed,  calm,  and  dignified.  On 
a  chair  to  her  left,  but  not  on  the  throne,  sat  the 
young  Emperor,  a  young  man,  who  seemed  to  me 
deficient  in  mental  make-up.  In  this  opinion,  how 
ever,  I  was  not  supported  by  some  of  those  who  were 
with  me. 

The  minister  presented  me  in  a  few  words  to  her 
Majesty,  and,  standing  at  a  distance  of  about  twenty 
feet,  I  repeated  the  speech  I  had  sent  her  some  days 
before — at  least  a  portion  of  it.  She  replied  with  the 
speech  she  had  sent  me,  and  then  an  unusual  thing  hap- 

259 


An  Admiral's  Log 

pened.  She  said  to  the  minister  through  her  inter 
preter  : 

"  Ask  the  admiral  to  come  near  me ;  I  wish  to  con 
verse  with  him !  " 

This  part  of  the  play  had  not  been  rehearsed,  as  it 
was  unexpected.  For  a  moment  I  was  just  a  bit  discon 
certed,  but  only  for  a  moment.  I  ascended  the  two  or 
three  steps  of  the  throne  and  approached  the  wonderful 
woman  who  sat  in  front  of  me.  I  had  no  idea  just 
how  close  I  ought  to  go,  but  I  had  often  talked  to  the 
wife  of  our  President,  and  I  felt  that  I  could  come  as 
close  to  this  Chinese  lady  as  I  had  to  her.  I  stopped 
when  I  was  close  enough  to  put  my  hand  on  her,  if  that 
became  desirable.  Then  I  looked  into  the  eyes  of  this 
woman  who  ruled  over  four  hundred  millions  of  peo 
ple,  holding  their  lives  and  the  destiny  of  her  country 
in  the  hollow  of  her  hand.  Beautiful,  appealing  brown 
eyes  looked  back  at  me  out  of  a  face  that  must  at  one 
time  have  been  strikingly  beautiful.  Every  line  of  it 
indicated  firmness  and  strength;  the  mouth  alone  sug 
gested  cruelty,  if  occasion  called  for  it.  A  more  strik 
ing  face,  one  to  be  longer  remembered,  I  have  never 
seen.  The  Manchu  head  dress  she  wore  was  most 
becoming,  and  added  to  the  effect  of  the  exquisite  cos 
tume  in  which  her  Majesty  was  attired. 

The  Empress  Dowager  spoke  deliberately  and  with 
dignity.  The  interpreter  received  her  words,  bumped 
his  head  on  the  floor,  raised  his  eyes,  and  repeated  in 
English  what  she  had  said.  I  replied,  another  bump  of 
the  head,  and  with  downcast  eyes  he  conveyed  my  mes 
sage  to  her  Majesty.  Thus,  for  about  twenty  minutes, 
the  conversation  continued,  growing  more  interesting 

260 


Interview  with  Empress  Dowager 

as  she  stated  her  side  of  the  Boxer  troubles  and  the 
cruel  punishment  China  had  received,  as  a  nation,  for 
the  doings  of  a  band  of  outlaws.  As  the  conversation 
progressed,  the  dark-brown  eyes  blazed,  and  I  felt  them 
looking  straight  into  my  brain  as  well  as  my  heart.  If 
I  had  wanted  to  do  so,  I  felt  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  me  to  attempt  to  deceive  the  woman  who  was  watch 
ing  me  so  earnestly.  Officially,  she  knew  no  word  of 
English,  but  several  times  she  started  to  reply  before 
my  words  had  been  translated,  which  convinced  me  that 
she  understood  well  every  word  I  was  saying.  The 
rapid  changes  of  expression  on  her  face  also  led  me  to 
this  conclusion.  The  interview  concluded  with  these 
words  from  her  Majesty: 

"  After  all  my  country  has  suffered,  I  find  she  has 
but  one  friend  in  the  world.  That,  admiral,  is  the  great 
country  you  represent !  " 

With  these  words  she  clasped  her  own  shapely,  deli 
cate  hands  together.  I  bowed  and  backed  out  of  her 
presence,  fully  aware  that  I  had  enjoyed  the  privilege 
of  seeing  the  most  remarkable  woman  in  the  world 
show  her  real  feeling. 

Having  disposed  of  the  male  portion  of  the  party, 
the  Empress  Dowager  granted  an  audience  to  the  ladies 
who  had  accompanied  us,  was  most  gracious  in  conver 
sation  with  them,  and  entertained  them  at  luncheon.  In 
the  meantime  a  state  luncheon  was  served  for  the  offi 
cers,  which  was  attended  by  many  Chinese  court  officials 
•and  officers  of  rank.  The  only  wine  served  was  cham 
pagne,  but  the  dishes  were  many  and  curious.  Many  of 
them  I  did  not  recognise,  nor  had  ever  heard  of  before. 
Sharks'  fins,  bird's-nest  soup,  and  eggs,  very  old  and 
18  261 


An  Admiral's  Log 

black,  and  many  preparations  of  pork,  I  knew  and  par 
took  of,  but  there  were  many  which  I  tasted  without 
knowing  what  they  contained. 

After  luncheon,  whicji  lasted  more  than  two  hours, 
we  were  shown  through  the  beautiful  grounds  of  the 
summer  palace.  The  conduct  of  the  troops  who  had 
occupied  them — they  were  not  Americans — had  been 
such  as  to  make  it  hard  for  us  to  look  our  hosts  in  the 
face,  as  they  pointed  out  to  us  the  results  of  their  infa 
mous  conduct.  Beautiful  old  bronzes,  too  heavy  to  be 
carried  away,  which  had  stood  in  those  grounds  for 
more  than  a  thousand  years,  were  destroyed  by  dyna 
mite.  Holes  were  drilled  into  them,  dynamite  sticks 
inserted  and  fired,  thus  blowing  open  and  defacing 
pieces  of  untold  value,  which  could  never  by  any  possi 
bility  be  replaced.  The  officials  who  conducted  us  only 
glanced  at  the  things  so  destroyed — made  no  comment 
until  some  one  asked  how  or  why  it  had  been  done. 
Then  the  name  of  the  country  whose  men  had  done 
these  things  was  mentioned,  but  nothing  more  was  said. 

We  were  fairly  started  on  our  return,  when  a  ter 
rific  dust  storm  broke  over  us.  The  air  was  so  thick 
that  our  bearers  had  great  difficulty  in  following  the 
road.  It  was  like  a  dense  fog  at  sea — worse,  indeed, 
because  the  flying  dust  cut  the  eyes,  causing  the  men  to 
stop  until  they  could  regain  their  sight.  Frequently 
we  found  ourselves  mixed  up  with  those  going  in  the 
opposite  direction,  when  a  wordy  war  would  follow, 
terminated  in  most  cases  by  the  sticks  of  our  cavalry 
escort.  We  arrived  at  our  temple,  having  certainly 
swallowed  our  "  peck  of  dirt,"  ready  for  such  a  rest  as 
we  could  induce  the  mosquitoes  and  rats  to  allow  us. 

262 


A  Dinner  at  Pekin 

We  had  done  twenty-six  miles  in  uncomfortable  chairs, 
half  of  it  in  a  blinding  dust  storm ! 

The  day  following  our  visit  to  the  summer  palace 
our  minister,  Mr.  Conger,  gave  a  state  dinner.  Prince 
Chung,  Cheng-Chi-Tung,  and  other  high  officials  at 
tended.  The  day  was  intensely  hot,  not  a  breath  of  air 
could  be  felt,  and  the  mosquitoes  were  -most  active. 
We  sat  under  the  trees  in  the  temple  yard  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  the  guests,  when  the  first  one  appeared,  per 
spiring  freely,  his  head  encased  in  the  heavy  headgear 
demanded  by  the  occasion.  All  Chinese  gentlemen  dine 
with  their  head  covering  on.  The  minister  asked  the 
newcomer  to  remove  his  helmet,  which  he  gladly  did, 
handing  it  to  his  attendant.  When  the  second  guest 
arrived,  this  attendant  hurried  back,  and  the  heavy 
headpiece  was  replaced.  Then  the  two  were  uncov 
ered,  as  the  first  had  been,  until  the  third  one  ar 
rived,  w7hen  they  hurriedly  covered  again!  This  was 
continued  as  each  guest  arrived  until  all  were  assem 
bled,  where  they  solemnly  sat  with  their  hats  on,  watch 
ing  each  other  like  hawks,  while  the  perspiration 
streamed  down  their  faces. 

The  half  hour  of  assembling  and  the  dinner  that  fol 
lowed  were  most  interesting  and  instructive  to  one  who 
watched,  as  I  did,  the  move  of  each  of  the  players  in 
the  game.  When  one  of  the  Chinese  officials  wished  to 
speak  to  another  he  left  his  seat,  approached  the  one  to 
be  spoken  to,  placed  his  mouth  close  to  his  ear,  and, 
with  his  own  hands  on  either  side  of  his  mouth,  whis 
pered  what  he  had  to  say.  This  was  before  the  dinner 
was  announced.  It  was  evident  that  each  one  of  them 
was  afraid  to  allow  the  others  to  know  what  he  was 

263 


An  Admiral's  Log 

saying.  Wise  old  Cheng-Chi-Tung  watched  them  all. 
No  two  of  them  exchanged  words  without  his  knowl 
edge,  and  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  he  suspected 
that  he  was  himself  the  subject  of  much  of  the  whis 
pered  conversations. 

During  the  dinner  I  was  seated  between  Cheng-Chi- 
Tung  on  my  right  and  a  graduate  of  Yale  on  my  left. 
Behind  Cheng-Chi-Tung  was  his  pipe  bearer,  a  delicate- 
looking  Chinese  boy,  who  filled  his  master's  pipe  and 
passed  it  to  him  with  the  regularity  of  some  mechanical 
device.  The  Dumber  of  times  the  pipe  was  emptied 
would  not  be  believed  if  I  stated  it.  The  man  on  my 
left,  secretary  to  some  high  official,  spoke  English  per 
fectly,  and  as  the  wine  warmed  him  up  discussed  affairs 
in  China  with  a  freedom  that  was  surprising.  He  was 
eloquent  in  defence  of  the  Boxers  and  the  course  of  the 
Chinese  government  toward  them,  and  very  bitter  in 
his  comments  on  the  conduct  of  the  foreign  troops. 
After  dinner  he  presented  me  with  a  book  he  had  writ 
ten,  which  has  since  afforded  me  much  amusement. 

The  question  of  opening  two  more  Chinese  ports  to 
foreign  trade  was  much  discussed  during  this  dinner  by 
the  foreign  ministers  present.  All  of  them  seemed  to 
consider  it  a  good  thing  to  do,  except  the  minister  from 
Japan,  who  took  little  part  in  the  conversation.  The 
ports  named,  which  were  Mukden  and  one  outside  the 
mouth  of  the  Yalu  River,  met  the  approval  of  the  Rus 
sian  minister  particularly,  who  had  much  to  say  in 
favour  of  it. 

The  following  morning  I  received  the  card  of  an 
English  officer,  who  requested  to  see  me  on  very  impor 
tant  and  confidential  business.  It  was  concerning  the 

264 


New  Treaty  Ports 

two  new  treaty  ports.  The  English  and  the  Japanese 
ministers  were  anxious  that  the  one  on  the  Yalu  River 
should  be  actually  inside  its  mouth,  to  ensure  the  river 
being  kept  open  to  foreign  trade.  This  officer  had  been 
personally  to  the  place,  and  one  glance  at  the  rough 
sketch  of  the  reconnaissance  he  had  made  convinced 
me  that  the  contemplated  treaty  would  not  secure  the 
desired  result.  Our  minister  was  confident  that  it 
would,  but  after  an  interview  with  the  Japanese  min 
ister  I  concluded  to  look  into  the  matter  more  closely. 
The  Austria,  one  of  our  gunboats  at  Chefoo,  was 
commanded  by  Commander  Ward,  an  officer  who,  in 
addition  to  many  other  excellent  qualities,  spoke  Rus 
sian  fluently ;  and  to  him  was  given  the  work  of  exam 
ining  the  mouth  of  the  Yalu.  He  was  directed  to  em 
ploy  the  best  pilots  to  be  obtained,  to  make  a  complete 
running  survey  of  the  locality,  to  report  fully  on  the 
proposed  treaty  port,  and  to  recommend  a  suitable  one 
for  the  purpose  in  view — keeping  open  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  In  a  short  time  the  work  was  completed,  and 
the  report,  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  accurate  ones 
ever  made,  was  submitted.  Later,  Mr.  Conger  wired 
me  to  know  if  I  could  send  a  gunboat  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Yalu  and,  without  exciting  suspicion,  get  certain 
information  he  wanted.  I  replied  at  once,  sending  him 
a  copy  of  Commander  Ward's  report,  which  showed 
that  the  proposed  treaty  port  was  well  outside  the 
actual  mouth  of  the  river,  was  so  situated  that  even 
small  boats  could  only  get  to  it  at  high  water,  and  that 
it  would  be  of  no  value  to  foreign  trade  if  declared 
open.  I  suggested  that  if  possible  there  should  be  sub 
stituted  the  name  of  another  port  which  Commander 

265 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Ward  had  recommended.  It  was  well  inside  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  had  over  sixty  thousand  inhabitants  and 
a  thriving  trade,  with  good  water  up  to  the  docks.  It 
was  only  a  few  days  before  the  treaty  was  to  be  signed, 
and  quick  action  was  necessary  to  secure  what  we  de 
sired.  The  combined  influence  of  our  own  and  the 
Japanese  minister  prevailed,  the  name  of  the  new  port 
was  put  in,  and  the  treaty  signed  before  the  Russian 
influence  could  prevent  it.  It  may  be  well  to  state  here 
that  if  sufficient  time  had  been  allowed,  this  treaty 
would  never  have  been  signed;  the  Russian  minister, 
by  tactics  of  which  he  was  master,  would  have  pre 
vented  it.  The  Chinese  government  was  helpless  to 
prevent  Russia  from  doing  just  as  she  pleased,  and  the 
protests  of  other  governments,  however  strong,  had  lit 
tle  or  no  effect.  The  promise  to  evacuate  Manchuria, 
giving  a  date  at  which  it  would  positively  be  done,  had 
been  made  so  often  and  never  kept  that  such  talk  now 
was  regarded  as  a  joke.  The  following  extract  from 
one  of  my  official  reports  made  in  July,  1903,  shows 
how  I  felt  on  the  subject: 

"After  consultation  with  our  minister  at  Pekin 
and  from  my  own  observation  of  affairs,  I  am  satisfied 
that  the  Russians  do  not  intend  to  evacuate  Manchu 
ria  or  any  part  of  that  territory  now  occupied  by  them, 
and  it  is  doubtful  that  they  will  do  so  in  the  future. 
So  long,  therefore,  as  the  Russian  forces  maintain  mili 
tary  control  of  Manchuria  and  have  troops  stationed  at 
Newchwang,  they,  of  course,  are  responsible  for  the 
maintenance  of  order,  and  there  is  no  longer  need  to 
retain  any  of  our  vessels  at  that  port.  I  therefore  di 
rected  the  Wilmington  to  rejoin  the  fleet  at  Chefoo, 
which  she  has  done.  The  Wilmington,  as  will  be  re- 

266 


Evacuation  of  Chinese  Ports 

membered,  was,  at  the  request  of  the  State  Department, 
ordered  to  Newchwang  to  be  there  at  the  expected 
evacuation  of  that  place  on  April  ist  last." 

Thus,  for  three  months,  we  had  held  a  vessel  in  port 
waiting  to  see  the  Russian  troops  leave,  as  had  been 
promised  by  their  government.  A  few  months  later  the 
Japanese  took  a  hand  in  the  business,  and  her  soldiers 
soon  secured  what  all  others  had  failed  to  secure  by 
peaceable  means — the  evacuation  of  a  Chinese  treaty 
port  which  Russia,  in  the  first  place,  never  had  any 
right  to  occupy ! 


CHAPTER   XXII 

A   SUMMER   AT   CHEFOO 

UPON  my  return  to  Chefoo  from  Pekin,  I  found 
all  the  vessels  of  the  fleet  assembled  there.  The  new 
battleship  Wisconsin  was  flying  the  flag  of  Rear-Ad 
miral  Cooper,  who  had  just  arrived  to  assume  com 
mand  of  the  northern  (or  cruiser)  division  of  the 
fleet.  The  battleship  Oregon  was  also  in  port,  and  alto 
gether  we  had  twenty  vessels  of  war  in  the  harbour — a 
greater  number  than  had  ever  before  been  assembled 
in  any  Chinese  port.  This  led  the  Russian  authorities 
at  Port  Arthur  to  assume  that  we  were  there  for  the 
purpose  of  showing  our  friendship  and  sympathy  for 
Japan  as  against  them.  To  get  to  the  bottom  of  this 
and  find  out  exactly  why  we  were  mobilised  at  Chefoo, 
a  brilliant  young  general,  Desino  by  name,  was  sent  to 
watch  us.  He  came  prepared  for  a  long  stay,  brought 
his  charming  wife  and  daughters  with  him,  took  rooms 
at  the  hotel,  and  made  himself  most  agreeable  in  his 
intercourse  with  our  officers.  The  object  of  his  visit 
was  so  apparent  that  I  one  day  said  to  him,  "  General, 
you  know  we  are  here  this  summer  only  for  our 
health !  "  He  seemed  to  consider  this  as  very  far  from 
the  real  reason,  and  devoted  a  great  part  of  his  time  to 
finding  out  something  that  did  not  exist.  I  had  told 
him  the  exact  reason  for  our  presence!  But  I  am 

268 


Defences  of  Port  Arthur 

free  to  confess  that  in  doing  so  I  had  not  expected  him 
to  believe  me. 

The  defences  of  Port  Arthur  were,  of  course,  of  the 
greatest  interest  to  us  all  from  a  professional  stand 
point  General  Desino  was  one  of  the  officers  who 
had  been  employed  in  their  design  and  construction, 
and  knew  more  about  their  condition  than  any  one  else 
with  whom  I  could  communicate.  He  gave  me  much 
valuable  information  during  our  many  talks  on  the 
subject,  holding  always  that  no  power  could  capture 
the  place  if  they  tried.  When  I  pointed  out  the  impor 
tance  of  Pigeon  Cove  and  203  Metre  Hill,  two  places 
left  out  of  the  general  plan  of  defence,  he  agreed  with 
me,  and  said : 

"  I  asked  for  the  fortification  of  these,  but  my  gov 
ernment  would  not  allow  me  the  money.  We  will  mine 
the  Cove  and  depend  upon  the  concentration  of  fire 
from  other  forts  for  the  defence  of  203  Metre  Hill ! " 

The  mines  did  later  keep  the  fleet  out  of  Pigeon 
Cove,  because  the  Japanese  could  not  afford  to  lose  any 
of  their  heavy  ships,  but  no  amount  of  concentrated 
fire,  bad  as  it  was,  prevented  the  occupation  of  the  Hill 
by  the  brave  men  of  General  Nogi's  command.  When 
once  they  held  it,  the  fate  of  Port  Arthur  and  its  de 
fences  was  sealed. 

Our  fleet  spent  the  summer  months  at  Chefoo.  Tar 
get  practice  was  held  for  all  the  ships,  including  the 
two  new  battleships,  Wisconsin  and  Oregon,  and  the 
cruisers  Albany  and  Raleigh,  which  had  just  arrived 
from  home.  The  results  were  far  more  satisfactory  than 
had  been  attained  in  previous  drills,  giving  great  prom 
ise  for  future  work.  Much  time  was  given  to  athletics. 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

Men  were  landed  from  the  ships  every  day,  using  the 
fine  field  which  had  been  provided  for  us.  While  ath 
letic  sports  were  a  pastime,  affording  amusement  to 
officers  and  men,  they  were  at  the  same  time  part  of  the 
drill  of  the  fleet.  It  was  the  first  time  they  had  been  so, 
regarded,  and  the  effect  was  good. 

We  soon  found,  after  anchoring  the  fleet  at  Che- 
foo,  that  something  was  wrong  with  the  charts;  either 
the  original  survey  was  bad  or  the  harbour  had  under 
gone  great  changes.  As  the  fleet  would  probably  use 
the  place  for  future  summers,  it  was  necessary  to  have 
reliable  charts.  I  directed  that  a  thorough  survey  be 
made,  and  Lieutenant  Field,  a  very  able  and  competent 
young  officer,  organised  a  surveying  party,  established 
a  station  on  shore,  connected  by  wire  with  the  observ 
atory  at  Shanghai,  established  accurately  the  latitude 
and  longitude,  and  proceeded  energetically  with  the 
work.  Miles  of  sounding  were  run,  and,  after  two 
months  of  most  excellent  work,  the  smooth  sheets  were 
sent  to  Washington,  where  the  hydrographic  office 
produced  a  very  fine  chart  of  the  harbour.  When  it 
came  out  to  us,  it  was  curious  to  see  how  very  bad  the 
others  had  been!  It  was  fortunate  that  some  of  the 
ships  had  not  been  run  on  shore. 

The  hotel  accommodations  at  Chefoo  were  not  first- 
class,  but  they  were  bearable.  The  wives  of  many  of  the 
officers  of  the  fleet  used  them  during  the  summer,  and 
were  thus  enabled  to  be  near  their  husbands.  The 
question  of  having  the  wives  of  officers  follow  the  ships 
from  port  to  port  is  one  that  has  been  much  discussed 
in  the  service  and  out  of  it.  One  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  went  so  far  as  to  issue  an  order  on  the  subject, 

270 


Officers'  Wives 

but  as  the  wives  were  in  no  way  liable  to  the  penalties 
prescribed  by  the  regulations  for  their  husbands,  this 
order  only  caused  merriment.  The  women  came  and 
went  as  they  pleased.  Some  officers  of  rank  held,  and 
still  hold,  that  it  was  a  great  detriment  to  efficiency  to 
have  them  about;  others  held  just  the  opposite.  With 
out  joining  either  party  to  this  controversy,  I  felt  cer 
tain  that  I  could  not  prevent  the  women  from  going 
just  where  they  pleased  or  where  their  husbands  wanted 
them  to  go.  For  one,  I  wanted  my  wife  as  near  me  as 
she  could  get,  and  therefore  secured  quarters  for  her 
where  she  might  be  as  comfortable  as  circumstances 
permitted.  At  the  same  time  I  gave  notice,  months  in 
advance,  that  the  fleet  would  summer  at  Chefoo,  so 
that  those  who  wished  to  do  so  might  also  secure  quar 
ters.  The  assertion,  often  made,  that  officers  are  in 
duced  to  neglect  their  duties  when  ladies  are  about,  in 
order  to  spend  their  time  on  shore  with  them,  has 
always  seemed  to  me  weak;  but  if  we  grant,  for  the 
sake  of  argument,  that  it  has  some  truth,  I  still  believe 
that  the  good  effect  upon  officers,  particularly  young 
ones,  of  associating  with  ladies  far  outweighs  any  harm 
that  can  be  done  by  such  neglect.  In  fact,  I  have  never 
known  an  officer  to  neglect  his  duty  for  any  such  rea 
son.  But  I  have  known  many  who  have  been  made 
comfortable  and  happy  by  having  their  wives  or  sweet 
hearts  where  they  could  see  them  when  off  duty. 

Early  in  September  a  typhoon  swept  up  the  coast 
of  China,  the  tail  of  it  striking  us  at  Chefoo.  The 
wind  brought  in  a  heavy  sea,  which  made  the  small 
ships  roll  and  pitch  badly,  but  no  serious  damage  was 
done  beyond  the  loss  of  a  few  anchors.  The  air  was 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

so  thick  with  the  mist  driven  in  by  the  gale  that  the 
vessels  could  not  be  seen,  and,  as  many  of  them 
dragged  their  anchors,  we  were  fortunate  to  escape 
injury.  I  was  caught  on  shore  by  the  storm,  and  wit 
nessed  the  destruction  caused  by  a  cloudburst  on  the 
mountains  back  of  the  city.  The  water — one  couldn't 
call  it  rain — seemed  to  come  in  a  mass  from  a  very 
black  cloud  which  swept  down  from  the  mountains, 
and  instantly  the  whole  surrounding  country  was 
deluged.  Small  streams  were  converted  into  roaring 
torrents,  rushing  with  irresistible  force  to  the  sea  and 
bringing  with  them  everything  in  their  way.  Houses, 
lumber,  animals  of  all  kinds,  and  even  human  beings 
were  rolled  over  and  over  until  they  landed  in  the 
harbour,  to  be  pounded  by  the  heavy  surf  that  was 
breaking  on  the  beach.  I  stood  and  watched  the  pitiful 
scene  for  some  time,  unable  to  render  the  least  assist 
ance.  It  was  beyond  any  human  effort;  we  could  only 
watch  the  destruction  and  hope  that  the  end  would 
soon  come.  The  danger  on  shore  was  many  times 
greater  than  on  the  ships,  though  most  people  would 
not  believe  it.  Not  a  man  was  hurt  in  the  fleet. 
Twenty-five  hundred  were  drowned  or  killed  on  shore! 
Men,  women,  and  children  were  beaten  down  in  the 
roads  and  fields  by  the  force  of  the  downpour,  and 
drowned  before  help  could  reach  them. 

When  the  storm  finally  passed,  which  it  did  as  sud 
denly  as  it  came,  the  sight  from  our  hotel  windows  was 
grand  and  impressive.  On  the  beach  immediately  in 
front  of  us  were  several  large,  timber-laden  junks 
which  had  grounded  and  were  rapidly  going  to  pieces, 
while  their  crews  struggled  among  the  heavy  timbers 

272 


Gifts  from  the  Empress  Dowager 

which  floated  out  of  the  boats.  The  whole  surface 
of  the  sea  was  covered  with  the  debris  brought  out  by 
the  flood,  and  dead  bodies  were  constantly  exposed  by 
the  falling  tide.  I  watched  with  intense  interest  the 
struggles  of  some  of  the  poor  beasts  that  had  been 
swept  out  by  the  rush  of  water.  A  milch  cow  swam  for 
more  than  an  hour  in  the  rough  sea,  finally  landed, 
walked  up  the  shore,  and  was  tied  up  in  the  hotel  yard 
to  await  an  owner.  She  was  swelled  until  her  skin  was 
as  tight  as  a  drum-head.  After  resting  a  few  hours,  she 
seemed  to  resume  her  natural  size  and  appearance, 
showing  no  bad  effects  from  her  long  struggle.  Two 
very  large,  fat  hogs  also  landed  on  the  shore  after 
being  in  the  water  more  than  an  hour.  They  swam 
easily,  showing  no  signs  of  distress,  but,  like  the  cow, 
they  were  very  much  swollen  when  they  came  ashore. 
The  old  idea  that  a  pig  would  cut  his  own  throat  in 
swimming  was  clearly  disproved  in  this  case.  They  not 
only  swam  well,  but  showed  nq  marks  of  any  kind  of 
injury  when  examined. 

A  few  days  after  my  return  from  Pekin  a  large 
packing  case  came  from  the  Empress  Dowager,  ad 
dressed  to  my  wife.  When  delivered  on  board  the  flag 
ship  it  was  found  to  contain  various  articles  of  food, 
packed  in  large  earthenware  jars.  Some  of  them  con 
tained  chicken  preserved  in  wine,  old  chicken  and 
very  good  wine,  but,  unlike  most  good  wine,  this 
had  not  improved  with  age!  Other  jars  contained 
pork  or  eggs,  all  preserved  in  wine.  It  was  cer 
tainly  most  gracious  in  her  Majesty  to  send  such  a 
valuable  present,  but  the  food  did  not  prove  to  be  to 
our  taste,  probably  because  we  did  not  know  how  to 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

prepare  it  for  the  table.     Our  efforts  produced  many 
bad  odours,  but  nothing  else. 

Early  in  July  I  received  words  of  commendation 
from  Washington  regarding  our  work  in  Manila,  as  the 
following  letters  will  show : 

NAVY  DEPARTMENT, 
WASHINGTON,  June  5,  1903. 
SIR: 

Your  report  of  February  7,  1903,  No.  26  D,  on  the 
special  operations  and  manoeuvres  of  the  Asiatic  Fleet 
in  and  about  Manila  and  Subig  Bays  has  received  the 
attentive  consideration  of  the  general  board,  which  has 
reported  on  it  to  the  department,  with  commendation  of 
its  full  and  interesting  details  and  the  success  and  in- 
structiveness  of  the  manoeuvres.  The  general  plan 
seems  to  have  been  well  adapted  to  the  resources  at 
your  command  and  to  operations  probable  in  the  event 
of  actual  war  in  the  far  East;  the  enthusiasm  and  gen 
eral  efficiency  of  the  officers  and  men  admirable. 

The  department  takes  pleasure  in  communicating  to 
you  the  favourable  opinion  of  the  general  board,  in 
which  the  department'  concurs,  appreciating  the  sus 
tained  zeal  and  ability  of  your  administration. 

Yours  respectfully, 

CHAS.  H.  DARLING, 
Acting  Secretary. 

Upon  the  receipt  of  this  letter  its  contents  were 
made  known  to  the  officers  and  men,  and  the  following 
written  to  the  commander  of  the  Philippine  division : 

FLAGSHIP  KENTUCKY, 
CHEFOO,  CHINA,  July  8,  1903. 
SIR: 

i.  I  enclose  herewith  a  copy  of  letter  No.  673,  36  B, 
of  June  3,  1903,  from  the  department,  expressing  its 

274 


Trouble  at  Poyang  Lake 

pleasure  with  the  operations  and  manoeuvres  of  the  fleet 
in  and  about  Manila  and  Subig  Bays. 

2.  It  is  very  gratifying  to  receive  letters  of  this 
character,  and  I  desire  that  you  will  communicate  its 
contents  to  each  of  the  vessels  of  the  squadron  under 
your  command,  that  all  who  have  tended  to  the  good 
results  should  share  in  the  department's  commendation. 

Very  respectfully, 

R.  D.  EVANS, 
Rear- Admiral  U.  S.  Navy, 
Commander-in-Chief  United  States 
Asiatic  Fleet. 


The  receipt  of  this  letter  put  new  life  into  the  offi 
cers  and  men.  We  all  determined  to  show,  if  possible, 
even  better  results  in  the  future. 

During  the  month  of  August  reports  had  reached 
me  of  threatened  trouble  for  our  missionaries  and  mer 
chants  in  the  Poyang  Lake  district,  particularly  on  the 
Kan  River  at  Wan-kia-tau  and  Nan-chang.  I  at  once 
sent  the  gunboat  Villalobos  to  look  into  the  matter  and 
afford  all  necessary  protection.  Much  to  my  surprise, 
the  commanding  officer  reported  to  me  that  our  consul 
at  Kow-kiang  had  read  to  him  a  letter  from  the  Tao-Tai 
(governor)  complaining  of  the  visit  of  the  Villalobos. 
The  consul-general  seemed  to  sustain  the  action  of  the 
Tao-Tai,  which  caused  me  to  write  the  following  letter : 


FLAGSHIP  KENTUCKY, 
CHEFOO,  CHINA,  July  30,  1903. 
SIR: 

i.  I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  No. 
77-03  and  13-03  of  the  22d  instant,  relative  to  the 
movements  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Villalobos. 

275 


An  Admiral's  Log 

2.  I  have  considered  with  much  care  paragraph  16 
of  the  letter  above  referred  to,  relative  to  the  contents 
of  the  letter,  read  to  you  by  our  consul-general,  from 
the  Tao-Tai  at  Kow-kiang,  reporting  that  a  French 
gunboat  had  gone  through  Poyang  Lake  and  up  the 
Kan  River  to  Wan-kia-tau,  and  thence  by  boat  to  Nan- 
chang,    which    corresponds,    as    you    state,    with    the 
movements  of  the  Villalobos,  and  is  presumably  in 
tended  to  mean  that  vessel.     Further,  that  the  Tao- 
Tai   insisted  in  his  letter  that  such  visits  should  be 
prohibited,   and  that  the   foreign   representatives   had 
previously  been  warned  not  to  send  gunboats  to  the 
Poyang  district,  as  the  people  thereabouts  are  "  bad 
men." 

3.  Your  visit  with  the  Villalobos  to  Nan-chang  for 
the  purpose  of  investigating  the  condition  and  provid 
ing  for  the  protection  of  the  lives  and  property  of 
Americans  is  approved.    It  is  my  desire  that,  so  far  as 
practicable,  similar  visits  be  paid  to  all  Americans  hav 
ing  property  or  other  lawful  interests  in  China,  that  I 
may  be  kept  fully  informed  regarding  all  things  con 
cerning  their  welfare. 

4.  You  will,  if  occasion  offers,  inform  the  Tao-Tai 
who  wrote  the  letter  protesting  to  the  consul-general 
against  your  vessel  that  his  objections  will  not  receive 
consideration,  and  that  if  he  thinks  the  people  of  the 
Poyang  district  are  "  bad  men,"  that  such  a  reason  is  a 
greater  cause  for  more  frequent  visits  and  more  careful 
inspections  of  our  interests  by  our  armed  vessels,  and 
that  those  visits  will  be  continued  in  the  future  as  in 
the  past.    You  are  also  authorised  to  inform  the  Tao- 
Tai,  should  occasion  offer,  and  any  other  Chinese  offi 
cials  who  may  raise  objections  of  this  character,  that 
our  gunboats  are  always  amply  provided  for  dealing 
with  "  bad  men,"  and  if  there  should  be  any  indication 
to  pay  other  than  proper  respect  to  American  life  and 
property  on  the  part  of  these  men,  that  they  will  be 
dealt  with  immediately,  and  that  the  gunboats  will, 

276 


Authority  for  Action 

without  further  instructions,  administer  severe  and  last 
ing  punishment. 

5.  It  is  expected  that  the  Tao-Tai  and  other  officials 
of  China  will  suppress  all  disorder  and  give  ample  pro 
tection  to  the  lives  and  property  of  Americans;  but  if 
these  officials  fail  to  do  so,  the  question  of  adequate 
and  proper  protection  will  be  taken  in  hand  by  our 
gunboats.  In  order  to  satisfy  ourselves  that  the 
various  local  officials  are  properly  affording  protec 
tion,  our  gunboats  will  continue  to  navigate  the 
Poyang  Lake  and  the  various  other  inland  waters 
of  China  wherever  Americans  may  be,  and  where, 
by  treaty  with  China,  they  are  authorised  to  engage 
in  business  or  reside  for  the  purpose  of  spreading  the 
Gospel. 

Very  respectfully, 

R.  D.  EVANS, 
Rear-Admiral  U.  S.  Navy, 
Commander-in-Chief  United  States 

Asiatic  Fleet. 
To  the  Commanding  Officer  U.  S.  S.  Villalobos. 

My  action  in  this  matter  was  fully  reported  to  the 
Navy  Department,  and  also  to  our  minister  in  Pekin. 
Much  to  my  surprise,  Mr.  Conger  replied  to  my  letter, 
rather  siding  with  the  Tao-Tai  in  the  position  he  had 
taken.  He  asked  me  to  give  him  my  authority  for 
sending  gunboats  into  Poyang  Lake  and  under  what 
specific  treaty  I  had  acted.  I  stated  in  reply  that  I  had 
not  acted  under  any  specific  treaty ;  that  my  action  was 
based  on  the  broad  principle  that  wherever  the  Chinese 
government  allowed  American  citizens  to  reside  and 
engage  in  business,  commercial  or  otherwise,  I  claimed 
the  right  to  send  the  proper  force  to  protect  them  in 
case  of  necessity.  Here  the  matter  rested  until  the 
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An  Admiral's  Log 

Navy  Department  referred  my  report  to  the  State  De 
partment.  The  gunboats  in  the  meantime  continued  to 
patrol  the  Poyang  Lake  district.  The  Secretary  of 
State,  Mr.  Hay,  after  considering  my  report,  addressed 
a  letter  to  Mr.  Conger,  our  minister  in  Pekin,  a  copy 
of  which  was  forwarded  to  me.  In  this  letter  Mr.  Hay 
stated  that  the  position  assumed  by  me  was  absolutely 
and  entirely  correct,  and  expressed  surprise  that  Mr. 
Conger  had  differed  with  me.  He  also  gave  Mr.  Con 
ger  the  information  he  had  asked  of  me,  viz. :  the  spe 
cific  treaties  under  which  he  upheld  my  action.  These 
were  treaties  with  other  countries  than  our  own  of 
which  I  had  no  knowledge,  but  under  "  the-most- 
favoured-nation  "  clause  applied  to  us.  I  regretted  this 
difference  with  our  minister  at  Pekin.  It  was  the  only 
one  we  ever  had.  It  did  result  in  much  good,  however, 
for  it  gave  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Asiatic  Fleet, 
for  the  first  time,  an  idea  of  how  the  State  Department 
regarded  this  important  matter.  Naval  commanders 
are  frequently  called  upon  to  act  promptly  in  important 
matters,  and  they  generally  have  to  do  it  without  as 
sistance  from  the  State  Department  or  any  other  recog 
nised  authority.  If  they  meet  the  approval  of  their 
government,  their  action  is  commended.  They  some 
times  receive  a  reprimand,  though  their  action  is  ap 
proved,  but  not  officially  so.  Such  was  the  case  with 
Captain  Wilkes  when  he  removed  Mason  and  Slidell 
from  the  British  steamer  Trent  during  the  Civil  War, 
and  Captain  Collins,  who  captured  the  Confederate 
cruiser  Florida  in  a  neutral  Brazilian  port  and  brought 
her  to  the  United  States.  We  must  use  our  best  judg 
ment  on  such  occasions,  and  if  our  government  finds  it 

278 


German  Consideration 

necessary  to  reprimand  us,  take  our  punishment  with 
out  complaint. 

The  end  of  September  saw  our  work  at  Chefoo  com 
pleted  as  far  as  it  could  be  under  the  circumstances. 
Three  cruisers  had  reported  for  duty — the  Albany,  sis 
ter  ship  to  the  New  Orleans;  the  Cincinnati,  built  in 
the  United  States;  and  her  sister  ship,  the  Raleigh. 
The  last  named  was  almost  unfit  to  go  to  sea  because 
of  bad  work  done  on  her  boilers  and  engines  at  the 
Portsmouth  Navy  Yard,  and  it  was  necessary  to  put 
her  in  a  dockyard  for  repairs  at  once.  Indeed,  all  the 
ships  required  some  minor  repairs,  and,  as  we  had  no 
station  of  our  own  where  such  work  could  be  done,  I 
sent  the  cruiser  division,  under  Rear-Admiral  Cooper, 
to  Yokohama,  that  he  might  utilise  the  facilities  of  the 
Yokosuka  Navy  Yard.  With  the  Kentucky,  Oregon, 
Helena,  and  Wilmington,  I  sailed  for  Nagasaki,  where 
there  were  excellent  machine  shops  for  the  work  we 
required.  En  route  we  stopped  at  Tsingtao,  where 
the  Germans  again  received  us  most  cordially  and  did 
everything  in  their  power  to  render  our  visit  enjoyable. 
Many  entertainments  were  planned  and  given,  among 
them  several  dinners  on  shore  for  the  enlisted  men. 

On  one  occasion  during  this  visit  I  had  been  dining 
with  the  governor,  and  on  my  way  to  my  boat,  after 
midnight,  I  passed  what  seemed  to  be  a  large  military 
warehouse.  It  was  on  the  water  front,  very  near  the 
landing  for  our  boats.  As  I  approached  the  building  I 
noticed  that  it  was  lighted,  and  had  a  guard  of  German 
sailors  about  the  door.  The  German  officer  who  had 
been  detailed  for  duty  on  my  staff  and  was  with  me  at 
the  time  asked  if  I  would  look  in  for  a  moment,  which 

279 


An  Admiral's  Log 

I  did,  and  was  much  surprised  at  what  I  saw.  The 
large  lower  floor  had  been  furnished  with  over  two  hun 
dred  cot  beds,  and  each  one  contained  an  American  blue 
jacket,  sound  asleep,  under  care  of  the  German  sailors 
on  guard  at  the  door.  Here  they  slept  quietly  until  the 
boats  came  in  for  them  in  the  morning,  when  they  re 
turned,  clean  and  sober,  to  their  ships  for  breakfast. 
In  all  my  experience  I  had  never  before  witnessed  such 
a  sight,  and  I  took  great  pleasure  in  thanking  the  Ger 
man  Admiral,  Count  Baudissin,  who  had  commanded 
the  Hohenzollern  in  New  York,  for  his  great  courtesy 
and  kindness  to  my  men. 

At  Nagasaki  the  repairs  to  the  ships  were  taken  in 
hand  at  once  and  hurried  to  completion.  War  prepara 
tions  were  evident  everywhere,  and  I  was  thankful  that 
the  shops  could  spare  the  time  from  their  own  work  to 
do  what  was  required  for  me.  The  work  being  done  by 
the  Japanese  clearly  indicated  that  they  expected  to  ship 
a  large  number  of  men  and  vast  supplies  from  this  port. 
Railroad  switches  to  all  docks  were  being  rapidly, 
though  quietly,  constructed,  and  to  all  the  wharves 
where  steamers  could  land,  thus  connecting  the  docks 
with  the  main  lines  of  railroad  leading  into  the  interior. 
Several  Russian  warships  were  in  port,  and  their  offi 
cers  seemed  curiously  indifferent  to  what  was  going  on 
under  their  very  noses.  They  still  declared  that  Japan 
would  never  dare  to  make  war  on  them! 

Repairs  being  completed,  I  proceeded  to  Kobe,  in 
tending  to  assemble  the  fleet  there  for  drills  before  pro 
ceeding  to  Manila  for  record  target  practice.  The 
water  about  Kobe  was  well  suited  for  the  work  I  pro 
jected,  and  the  town  was  one  of  the  best  on  the  coast 

280 


Unexpected   Orders 

in  which  to  give  liberty  to  our  men.  Orders  were  issued 
for  the  ships  at  Yokohama  to  join  me  as  fast  as  their 
repairs  were  completed.  Everything  pointed  to  a  most 
interesting  period  of  fleet  drills,  when  one  morning  a 
bomb  dropped  on  us  in  the  shape  of  a  cipher  message 
from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  at  Washington,  asking 
how  soon  I  could  sail  for  Honolulu  with  three  battle 
ships  and  four  cruisers.  I  replied  that  I  could  sail  as 
soon  as  the  necessary  coal  could  be  taken  in — about 
twelve  hours — twenty-four  hours  at  most.  At  the 
same  time  I  advised,  unless  the  emergency  was 
great,  that  I  be  allowed  to  dock  some  of  the  ships 
and  paint  their  bottoms  before  sailing.  This  was 
granted  in  a  subsequent  telegram,  directing  me  to 
sail  with  the  fleet  the  moment  the  ships  were  ready 
and  make  the  best  of  my  way  to  Honolulu.  I  was  left 
in  absolute  ignorance  as  to  what  I  was  to  do  on  arriv 
ing — whether  I  was  to  fight  or  cruise  on  to  the  coast 
of  California.  I  was  on  my  back  with  a  severe  attack 
of  inflammatory  rheumatism  when  the  first  telegram 
came.  The  doctors  had  been  working  over  me  for  some 
time  without  any  apparent  benefit.  The  message  did 
what  they  had  failed  to  do — put  me  on  my  feet  at  once 
and  made  me  forget  the  pain. 

Instead  of  assembling  at  Kobe,  I  sailed  for  Yoko 
hama,  where  I  could  have  an  eye  on  the  work  to  com 
plete  it  so  as  to  sail  at  the  earliest  moment.  I  could 
form  no  idea  of  the  reason  for  such  a  sudden  call  for 
the  fleet,  but  I  felt  that  it  must  be  some  very  important 
matter  that  would  take  us  away  from  Japan  at  the  mo 
ment  when  she  was  about  to  declare  war  with  Russia. 
I  never  knew  why  I  was  sent  on  this  long  cruise  until 

281 


An  Admiral's  Log 

several  years  after,  when  the  President  himself  told 
me.  We  were  about  to  acquire  the  Panama  Canal  zone, 
and  there  was  a  rumour  that  some  of  the  South  Ameri 
can  republics  would  place  obstacles  in  our  way.  The 
President  wished  to  know,  and  it  may  be  have  others 
know,  just  how  long  it  would  take  to  have  the  Asiatic 
Fleet  at  Honolulu,  ready  for  service  in  the  South  Pa 
cific.  By  a  practical  demonstration  he  got  the  informa 
tion  he  wanted,  and  was  pleased  to  know  how  short  the 
time  really  was. 

All  the  telegrams  sent  me  about  the  sailing  of  the 
fleet  were  in  cipher,  but  the  Japanese  government  knew 
as  much  about  it  as  I  did.  The  news  was  given  out  in 
Washington  and  wired  to  Tokio,  where  it  caused  much 
excitement  and  comment.  The  Japanese  felt  that  we 
were  deserting  them  at  a  time  when  they  sorely  needed 
our  moral  support,  and  that  the  Russians  would  so 
regard  this  movement  of  our  fleet.  It  was  not  my  busi 
ness  to  correct  this  impression,  even  had  it  been  in  my 
power  to  do  so.  We  had  a  representative  in  the  Jap 
anese  capital  to  attend  to  such  matters.  Before  sailing 
I  called  on  the  Japanese  authorities  to  say  good-bye. 
One  of  the  cabinet  ministers,  who  was  a  warm  personal 
friend,  asked  me  to  convey  a  message  to  President 
Roosevelt  for  him. 

"  Please  say  to  the  President  that  war  between 
Japan  and  Russia  is  inevitable  unless  England  and  the 
United  States  interfere.  We  have  done  everything 
possible  to  prevent  it,  and  have  failed." 

On  my  arrival  in  Honolulu  I  was  careful  to  see  that 
this  message  was  duly  transmitted. 

The  manner  of  hunting  wild  ducks  in  Japan  had 
282 


Hunting  Ducks  in  Japan 

long  interested  me,  and  before  sailing  I  had  an  oppor 
tunity  to  enjoy  this  sport.  Baron  Kaneko  had  a  fine 
duck  pond  on  his  place  near  Tokio,  where  royalty  fre 
quently  hunted,  and  to  this  I  and  the  members  of  my 
family  were  invited.  The  pond  was  an  artificial  one, 
made  in  an  old  rice  field.  Bamboos  and  other  quick- 
growing  trees  had  been  planted  to  enclose  an  area  of  a 
few  acres,  and  the  earth  heaped  up  about  their  roots  to 
hold  the  water  in  the  pond  and  screen  the  ducks  therein 
from  the  view  of  any  one  outside.  The  water  in  the 
pond  was  two  or  three  feet  deep.  As  soon  as  ducks 
began  to  appear,  the  pond  was  generously  baited  with 
rice  to  attract  them,  and  they  resorted  to  it  in  great 
numbers  to  feed.  At  regular  intervals  ditches  about 
four  feet  wide  were  cut  through  the  bamboos  and  the 
embankment.  These  ditches  were  cut  with  an  elbow, 
or  bend,  so  that  they  did  not  permit  the  ducks  inside  to 
see  what  was  in  the  ditch  outside.  The  banks  of  the 
ditches  were  built  up  about  three  feet  high,  and  at  the 
end  of  each  one  was  a  small  watch-house  from  which 
the  number  of  ducks  could  be  counted  and  reported  to 
the  hunters  waiting  to  catch  them. 

A  number  of  trained  tame  ducks  were  used  as  de 
coys.  They  were  always  fed  by  putting  grain  in  the 
ditches  instead  of  the  pond,  so  they  resorted  to  them  to 
feed.  When  the  grain  was  put  into  the  ditch,  a  wire 
screen  across  the  mouth  was  withdrawn,  and  the  Jap 
anese  attendant  drummed  on  the  side  of  the  watch- 
house  with  a  stick,  which  was  the  signal  to  the  decoys 
that  their  meal  was  served,  and  they  swam  for  it  from 
all  parts  of  the  pond.  The  wild  ducks,  whose  food  had 
been  cut  down  in  the  pond,  soon  learned  what  this  sig- 

283 


An  Admiral's  Log 

nal  meant,  and  they  joined  their  tame  friends  and  swam 
into  the  ditches  to  feed. 

The  hunters  in  the  meantime  were  quietly  assembled 
near  the  watch-houses,  under  cover.  Each  one  was  pro 
vided  with  a  butterfly  net  with  a  long  bamboo  handle. 
The  watchmen,  looking  through  a  small  hole,  counted 
the  number  of  wild  ducks  in  the  ditch,  signalled  this 
with  his  fingers  to  the  waiting  hunters,  and  the  sport 
began.  The  party  was  divided,  half  approaching  the 
ditch  on  either  side,  all  in  Indian  file,  moving  noiselessly 
until  all  were  in  position.  As  we  stood  up,  the  wild 
ducks  jumped  into  the  air  to  escape,  and  flew  into  our 
nets.  Then  the  decoy  ducks  were  driven  back  into  the 
pond,  ready  to  bring  more  of  their  wild  companions  to 
the  net.  As  soon  as  the  ducks  were  caught,  a  Japanese 
attendant  took  charge  of  them,  killed,  and  prepared 
them  for  the  meal  that  was  to  follow.  It  was  deadly 
work  for  the  ducks,  for  I  only  saw  one  escape  the  nets 
while  I  watched  them.  I  caught  one,  a  fine  mallard, 
which  was  enough  for  me.  I  couldn't  help  thinking 
what  my  dear  old  sporting  friends,  Mr.  Cleveland,  Gen 
eral  McCook,  and  others,  would  say  if  they  could  see 
me  with  a  butterfly  net  catching  gray  mallards !  It  was 
a  fine  pastime  for  ladies,  but  I  saw  no  sport  in  it — the 
ducks  had  no  chance  in  the  world  to  escape.  Decoyed 
by  their  tame  companions,  they  could  not  get  into  any 
thing  like  a  fair  flight  before  they  were  in  the  nets. 

I  found  a  spot  where,  by  peeping  through  the  bam 
boo,  I  could  observe  the  flock  in  the  pond  without  being 
seen  myself.  At  a  rough  estimate,  I  placed  the  number 
of  ducks  feeding  or  sleeping  on  the  water  at  two  thou 
sand.  All  kinds  were  there — mallard,  widgeon,  sprig 

284 


A  Royal  Feast 

tails,  black  heads,  two  or  three  kinds  of  teal,  and  sev 
eral  kinds  I  had  never  before  seen.  In  the  midst  of  a 
thickly  settled  country  this  great  flock  of  wild  birds 
behaved  exactly  as  if  no  enemy  were  within  a  hundred 
miles  of  them,  simply  because  they  could  not  see  the 
danger  that  was  gradually  killing  them  off.  It  was  a 
neat,  merciful  way  of  killing  them,  because  none  of 
them  went  off  wounded  to  die  of  starvation  or  became 
food  for  hawks  or  coons,  but  I  could  not  feel  that  it 
was  work  for  a  sportsman — one  who  loves  the  work  of 
decoying  the  birds  for  himself,  and  then  watching  the 
beautiful  flight  as  they  try  to  escape  the  gun. 

When  the  hunters  were  satisfied  with  their  sport 
we  retired  to  the  Baron's  hunting  lodge,  only  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  pond,  where  we  found  a  beau 
tiful  table,  curiously  furnished.  In  addition  to  the  few 
plates  necessary,  every  place  had  a  small  charcoal  stove 
with  a  griddle  on  top,  such  as  one  would  use  in  baking 
buckwheat  or  griddle  cakes.  The  breasts  of  the  ducks 
killed  had  been  cut  into  thin  slices  and  a  plate  of  them 
served  for  each  guest.  There  was  also  a  small  cup  of 
soy,  a  Japanese  sauce  of  the  nature  of  Worcestershire, 
by  each  plate.  When  we  were  all  assembled  and  seated 
we  proceeded  to  cook  our  meal,  each  for  himself.  The 
slices  of  duck  were  first  dipped  in  the  soy  and  allowed 
to  soak  for  a  moment,  when  they  were  placed  on  the 
hot  grill,  cooked  to  taste,  and  eaten  with  bread  and 
butter  and  washed  down  with  champagne.  All  the 
ducks  not  consumed  were  taken  back  with  us  to 
Tokio  for  home  consumption.  Our  return  was  made 
in  less  than  an  hour,  showing  how  near  to  the 
heart  of  the  great  city  the  hunting  had  taken  place. 

285 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

ORDERED   TO    HONOLULU 

EVERYTHING  being  in  readiness,  we  said  good-bye 
to  our  families — we  were  not  to  see  them  again  for 
many  long  months — and  sailed  from  Yokohama  in  two 
divisions  for  Honolulu.  Admiral  Cooper,  with  the 
cruiser  division,  consisting  of  the  New  Orleans,  flag 
ship,  the  Cincinnati,  and  Albany,  was  to  touch  at  Mid 
way  Island,  where  two  colliers  would  meet  him,  coal,  if 
necessary,  and  then  join  me  at  sea  a  few  hundred  miles 
from  the  Sandwich  Islands.  With  the  battleships  Ken 
tucky,  Wisconsin,  and  Oregon  under  my  immediate 
command,  I  would  regulate  my  speed  so  as  to  make  the 
rendezvous  as  ordered.  My  intention  was  to  follow  the 
great  circle  route  between  Yokohama  and  Honolulu,  so 
as  to  economise  coal,  but  I  found  later  that  I  could  not 
do  this  because  of  the  heavy  sea  encountered.  I  had  to 
run  off  a  bit,  but  this  made  the  ships  much  steadier, 
and,  though  we  ran  a  longer  course,  we  made  better 
time. 

After  leaving  Yokohama  I  set  the  speed  for  the  bat 
tleships  at  twelve  knots,  and  at  this  speed  made  half 
the  distance  to  Honolulu,  then  changed  it  to  thirteen 
knots,  at  which  we  ran  the  other  half,  thus  doing  the 
whole  at  a  speed  of  twelve  and  one-half  knots,  which 
I  believe  to  be  the  greatest  speed  at  which  a  squadron 

286 


A  Heavy  Sea 

of  battleships  ever  made  so  long  a  run.  Once  well  clear 
of  the  land,  I  found  a  very  heavy  swell  caused  by  bad 
gales  in  the  Arctic.  At  the  same  time  the  wind  blew 
with  such  force  that  the  ships  were  made  very  uncom 
fortable.  We  had  the  long  swell  coming  down  from 
the  far  north  and,  in  addition,  the  new  sea  kicked  up 
by  the  prevailing  wind.  For  nine  days  we  ran  with  this 
sea  on  the  quarter,  gradually  drawing  astern  until  we 
were  running  before  it.  All  this  time  the  hatches  abaft 
the  superstructure  were  continually  closed,  as  the  seas 
broke  completely  over  the  after  part  of  the  ships.  It 
was  not  safe  to  send  a  man  onto  the  quarter-deck  for 
fear  that  he  would  be  washed  overboard.  We  were 
steaming  in  column,  each  ship  following  the  one  ahead 
of  her,  four  hundred  yards  apart,  the  Kentucky  lead 
ing.  As  the  flagship  would  settle  down  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea  the  others  would  be  entirely  out  of  sight,  and 
when  they  were  in  the  trough  of  the  sea  we  were  en 
tirely  out  of  sight  to  them.  I  had  rarely  seen  such  a 
heavy  sea,  and  in  order  to  determine,  if  possible,  the 
height  of  the  waves,  I  directed  several  officers  to  esti 
mate  it  from  the  bridge  of  the  Kentucky.  The  mean  of 
their  estimates  gave  forty-five  feet  as  the  vertical  height 
of  the  waves. 

The  sea  ran  down  when  we  passed  the  longitude  of 
Midway  Island,  and  the  weather  became  as  beautiful  as 
one  could  ask.  The  cruiser  squadron  joined  company 
at  the  time  and  place  ordered,  and  the  nine  ships  stood 
on  to  Honolulu,  where  they  arrived  without  any  acci 
dent  of  any  kind  twelve  days  after  sailing  from  the 
coast  of  Japan.  I  wired  my  arrival  to  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  and  moored  all  the  ships  in  the  inner  har- 

287 


An  Admiral's  Log 

hour.  Coal  was  taken  in  at  once,  and  I  notified  the 
department  that  I  would  be  ready  in  twelve  hours  to 
proceed  to  sea.  In  reply  I  was  informed  that  when  in 
all  respects  ready  I  would  return  with  the  fleet  to  Ma 
nila,  touching  en  route  at  the  Island  of  Guam.  Also, 
if  I  found  no  objection,  I  might,  in  accordance  with 
the  expressed  wishes  of  the  people  of  Honolulu,  remain 
there  four  days,  which  I  very  gladly  did. 

Two  unpleasant  incidents  marked  the  arrival  of  the 
fleet  at  Honolulu,  but  both  of  them  were  settled  without 
much  trouble.  Our  naval  station  was  commanded  by  a 
flag  officer  with  whom  my  personal  relations  were  not 
particularly  cordial.  As  said  by  a  prominent  western 
senator  who  was  not  on  terms  with  one  of  his  col 
leagues, 

"  We  do  not  speak  as  we  pass  by — 
Not  me  to  him,  or  him  to  I." 

The  boarding  officer  who  came  to  my  flagship  from 
the  commandant  requested  that  I  would  have  the  marine 
guard  ready  to  land,  as  he  feared  trouble  with  the  col 
lector  of  customs  of  the  port,  who  had  that  morning 
threatened  to  place  custom-house  guards  on  the  wharf 
to  prevent  my  men  from  smuggling.  The  wharf  where 
two  of  the  ships  would  moor  was  the  property  of  the 
Navy  Department,  and  this  threat  of  the  agent  of  an 
other  department  of  the  government  to  practically  take 
charge  of  it  by  placing  guards  on  it  had  caused  a  bit 
ter  quarrel  between  the  commandant,  who  was  right  in 
his  contention,  and  the  collector  of  customs,  who  was 
wrong  in  his.  The  ship  was  properly  secured ;  the  com 
mandant  had  been  officially  received  and  had  taken  his 

288 


Difficulty  with  the  Collector 

departure,  after  telling  me  of  his  troubles.  The  marines 
were  ready  to  land  if  their  services  should  be  required, 
and  I  was  eating  my  breakfast  when  the  collector  was 
ushered  into  my  cabin.  He  was  a  pleasant-mannered 
man,  tall  and  fine-looking,  but  the  flush  in  his  face  indi 
cated  that  he  was  labouring  under  excitement.  I  asked 
him  to  breakfast  with  me,  which  he  declined.  I  then 
asked  him  to  have  a  cigar,  which  he  also  declined. 
Then  I  requested  him  to  state  his  business  with  me, 
which  he  proceeded  to  do. 

He  explained  that  some  of  the  troops  returning  from 
the  Philippines  had  caused  trouble  by  smuggling  Manila 
cigars  into  Honolulu.  This  was  interesting,  but  not  in 
any  way  my  affair,  as  I  made  clear  in  a  few  words.  Then 
he  said  that,  fearing  my  men  would  do  the  same  thing, 
he  proposed  to  station  his  men  so  that  they  could  pre 
vent  it.  I  pointed  out  to  him  that  it  would  be  necessary 
for  me  to  remove,  forcibly  if  need  be,  any  of  his  guards 
found  on  naval  ground.  I  asked  him  how  long  he  had 
been  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States  government, 
and  his  answer  was,  as  I  recall  it,  about  four  years.  I 
told  him  that  I  had  been  about  forty  years  longer  than 
he  had,  that  I  had  tried  to  learn  the  laws  of  my  country, 
and  was  under  oath  to  see  them  enforced,  just  as  he 
was,  and  that  it  seemed  to  me  a  most  remarkable  thing, 
almost  an  insult,  for  him  to  imply  not  only  that  I 
would  not  enforce  the  law  with  my  men,  but  that  I 
would  admit  that  such  was  the  case  by  allowing  him  to 
enforce  it  for  me!  And,  further,  that  he  expected  me 
to  place  myself  and  all  under  my  command  in  the  cate 
gory  of  smugglers. 

This  presentation  of  the  case  seemed  to  strike  the 
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An  Admiral's  Log 

collector  as  reasonable,  and  he  frankly  said  so.  I  called 
my  flag  lieutenant  and  directed  him  to  make  signal  to 
the  fleet: 

"  Commander-in-chief  orders  that  commanding  offi 
cers  will  be  particularly  careful  that  the  revenue  laws 
are  not  violated  by  those  under  their  command." 

The  collector  said  that  this  was  all  that  he  could  ask, 
that  he  was  perfectly  satisfied,  and,  further,  that  if  any 
of  the  officers  or  men  of  the  fleet  had  Christmas  pres 
ents  for  their  friends  which  they  wished  forwarded  he 
would  be  glad  to  send  them  on  without  the  payment  of 
duty  if  presented  at  his  office.  In  other  words,  he  was  a 
gentleman  and  most  reasonable  when  properly  ap 
proached.  I  never  had  a  bit  of  trouble  with  him  after 
wards. 

While  the  collector  of  customs  was  still  talking 
with  me  a  young  man,  quite  a  lad,  thin  and  not  over- 
well  dressed,  was  brought  to  me  by  the  officer  of  the 
deck.  He  wore  no  uniform  except  a  cap,  on  which  was 
a  brass  tag  or  plate  with  some  inscription  on  it.  He 
said  that  he  came  from  the  commissioner  of  immigra 
tion,  who  wished  him  to  say  to  me  that  the  immigration 
laws  of  the  United  States  were  in  force  in  Honolulu, 
and  that  I  must  not  permit  any  Chinese  servants  to  land 
without  a  written  permit  from  him.  As  can  be  easily 
imagined,  this  fairly  took  my  breath  away.  We  had 
come  from  the  East,  where  Chinese  were  employed  on 
board  our  ships  as  servants,  without  a  chance  to  change 
them,  and  without  an  intimation  that  we  would  have 
trouble  about  them.  In  fact,  at  the  moment  when  I 
received  this  word  from  the  commissioner  twenty-five 
or  thirty  Chinese  stewards  were  actually  on  shore  pro- 

290 


Immigration  Commissioner  Interferes 

curing  food  for  the  thousands  of  hungry  throats  in  the 
fleet.  I  told  the  young  man  with  the  brass-labelled  cap 
to  present  my  compliments  to  the  commissioner  of  im 
migration,  and  say  to  him  that  every  man  in  the  fleet 
was  a  properly  enlisted  man  in  the  navy  of  the  United 
States,  and  that  if  he  interfered  with  one  of  them  I 
would  put  him  where  the  dogs  wouldn't  bite  him! 
When  the  youngster  had  gone,  the  collector,  who  had 
heard  his  message,  said  that  I  would  probably  have 
trouble  with  the  commissioner,  as  he  was  disposed  to 
make  trouble  at  times. 

I  had  come  to  Honolulu  in  obedience  to  orders  from 
my  superiors,  and  not  to  have  trouble  with  any  one — 
I  was  too  busy  for  that  kind  of  amusement — but  I 
did  not  propose  to  have  my  business  interfered  with  or 
permit  it  to  be  done  to  avoid  trouble.  If  the  commis 
sioner  wanted  to  force  a  row  with  me,  the  way  was 
open  for  him  to  do  so. 

After  finishing  my  breakfast,  I  wired  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  regarding  the  action,  or,  rather,  threat 
ened  action,  of  the  commissioner,  and  suggested  that 
the  immigration  laws  should  be  suspended  as  far  as 
they  applied  to  the  fleet  during  my  stay  in  port.  A  few 
hours  later  the  reply  came : 

"  Secretary  of  Commerce  and  Labour  has  suspended 
operations  of  immigration  laws  as  far  as  the  fleet  is 
concerned  during  your  stay  in  Honolulu." 

I  received  a  note  from  the  commissioner  at  my 
hotel  that  evening,  stating  that  he  would  be  on  board 
my  flagship  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  following  morning  for 
a  conference  with  me.  He  did  not  state  what  he  wished 
to  confer  about.  I  replied  that  I  would  call  at  his  office 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

in  the  morning.  I  considered  that  a  more  desirable 
place  to  confer,  because  I  could  end  the  conference 
more  expeditiously  than  in  my  cabin  without  giving 
offence.  I  could  walk  out  when  I  had  heard  what  the 
commissioner  had  to  say ! 

At  9.30  the  following  morning,  accompanied  by  my 
flag  lieutenant,  I  called  on  him,  and  was  received  by 
the  commissioner,  who  sat  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  smoking 
a  pipe,  with  his  feet  on  top  of  his  desk !  He  began  by 
telling  me  just  how  he  wished  me  to  regulate  the  land 
ing  of  the  Asiatics  in  the  fleet ;  that  I  would  give  each 
one  a  pass,  send  him,  accompanied  by  an  officer,  to  his 
office;  that  he  would  countersign  my  pass,  etc.,  etc. 
When  I  had  heard  him  as  patiently  as  I  could,  I  read 
him  the  telegram  from  the  Secretary  of  Commerce  and 
Labour,  informed  him  that  I  did  not  require  any  assist 
ance  in  the  matter  of  landing  those  under  my  com 
mand,  Asiatics  included,  wished  him  good-morning, 
and  returned  to  my  flagship.  I  never  heard  of  him 
afterwards.  When  the  fleet  left  we  took  with  us  every 
man  we  had  when  we  came — not  one  deserted. 

Our  reception  by  the  good  people  of  Honolulu  was 
delightful  in  every  way.  They  entertained  the  officers 
and  men  royally.  The  streets  of  the  city  were  con 
stantly  filled  with  bluejackets,  to  whom  places  of 
amusement  were  thrown  open  free  of  charge.  Athletic 
sports  were  entered  into  with  great  spirit,  not  only  by 
men  of  different  ships,  but  with  the  residents,  who 
played  baseball  so  well  that  we  found  it  impossible  to 
win  a  game  from  them.  Governor  Carter  not  only  en 
tertained  the  officers  with  great  hospitality,  but  he  vis 
ited  the  field  where  the  bluejackets  were  fighting  for 

292 


Return  to  Manila 

supremacy  in  football  and  encouraged  them  by  his  pres 
ence.  An  old  Yale  player  himself,  he  was  good  enough 
to  say  that  we  played  a  surprisingly  fine,  clean  game. 
Everything  was  done  to  make  our  Christmas  a  merry 
one,  and  we  appreciated  the  efforts  of  the  kind-hearted 
people.  In  return  for  their  courtesy  we  gave  a  ball, 
which  I  think  was  the  finest  thing  of  the  kind  I  have 
ever  seen.  The  two  battleships,  Kentucky  and  Wiscon 
sin,  were  moored  on  opposite  sides  of  the  government 
pier.  This  was  converted  into  a  veritable  flower  gar 
den,  lighted  by  electric  bulbs  suspended  from  lines  run 
ning  between  the  mast  heads  of  the  two  ships.  Small 
tables  were  placed  among  the  palms  and  flowers,  and 
supper  was  served  on  these  at  midnight.  Both  ships 
were  gorgeously  dressed  with  flags  and  flowers  and 
brilliantly  lighted.  Two  fine  bands  provided  music,  and 
officers  and  men,  all  in  white  uniforms,  received  and 
entertained  our  guests.  Dancing  was  kept  up  until  day 
light  put  an  end  to  our  frolic,  which  had  been  thor 
oughly  enjoyed  by  all. 

We  left  the  harbour  of  Honolulu  when  the  time 
given  by  the  Navy  Department  had  expired,  and  started 
on  our  way  to  Manila.  The  cruiser  squadron,  under 
command  of  Admiral  Cooper,  with  two  colliers,  pro 
ceeded,  by  way  of  Midway  Island,  where  the  Cable 
Company  had  just  established  a  station.  I  went  with 
the  battleships  direct  to  Guam,  where  the  cruisers  were 
to  join  me,  and  after  coaling  make  the  best  of  their  way 
at  full  speed  to  Manila.  En  route  I  touched  at  Wakes 
Island,  one  of  our  Pacific  Ocean  possessions  of  which 
very  little  is  known  by  our  people  generally. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Bennington,  commanded  by  Com- 
20  293 


An  Admiral's  Log 

mander  Taussig,  on  her  way  home  from  Manila  after 
the  Spanish  War,  touched  at  the  island,  and  the  Ameri 
can  flag  was  hoisted.  A  copper  plate,  properly  in 
scribed,  was  placed  on  the  face  of  a  large  boulder  at 
the  foot  of  the  flagstaff,  and  now  occasionally  a  vessel 
of  war  lands  an  officer  to  see  that  this  plate  is  still  in 
place.  The  island  is  only  a  coral  patch,  rising  twenty 
or  thirty  feet  above  water  at  its  highest  point.  It 
contains  probably  thirty  acres  above  water  and  twice  as 
much  more  in  sight,  but  not  yet  above  water.  Around 
the  eastern,  southern,  and  western  sides  the  usual  reef 
extends  which  protects  the  solid  part  from  the  heavy 
sea  which  always  breaks  with  great  force  on  the  north 
and  west  sides,  owing  to  the  prevailing  north-west 
winds,  which  often  develop  into  furious  gales.  We  ap 
proached  from  the  south  side  of  the  islands,  found  good 
water  close  up  to  the  land,  and  sent  in  two  boats  with 
officers  and  men  to  see  what  was  going  on.  The  sea 
was  breaking  furiously  over  the  reefs,  but  where  we 
were  it  was  as  smooth  as  the  proverbial  mill-pond.  The 
boat  landed  at  a  convenient  spot  near  the  flagstaff,  and 
after  an  absence  of  a  few  hours  returned,  bringing  with 
them  a  boat  load  of  Japanese  fishermen. 

The  officer  in  charge  of  the  landing  party  made  an 
interesting  report  of  what  he  had  seen.  Our  plate  was 
still  in  place,  proclaiming  to  all  the  ownership  of  the 
island.  A  lagoon  of  considerable  size  and  depth  was 
found  penetrating  the  highest  part  of  the  island,  and 
containing  a  great  variety  of  fishes,  which  could  be 
plainly  seen  in  the  clear  sea  water.  The  highest  parts 
of  the  island  were  covered  with  small,  sturdy  trees,  and 
among  these,  in  a  protected  place,  the  Japanese  had 

294 


Wakes  Island 

their  camps,  where  they  lived  on  fish  and  such  tinned 
stores  as  remained  of  the  supply  that  had  been  landed 
with  them  five  months  before.  They  managed  to  catch 
enough  rain  water  to  supply  their  needs.  The  head 
man  of  the  party  reported  that  they  had  been  landed 
from  a  fishing  schooner  five  months  before,  and  that 
she  would  call  for  them  in  three  or  four  months.  Fif 
teen  men  composed  the  party,  and  they  claimed  to  be 
securing  birds'  skins  for  the  Paris  market.  They  pre 
sented  me  with  several  very  beautiful  specimens.  The 
island  was  the  home  of  vast  flocks  of  sea  birds  of  many 
different  varieties,  which  were  killed  at  night  with  flat 
paddles  in  such  number  as  required,  and  the  skins  re 
moved  and  preserved  during  the  daytime.  Five  or  six 
thousand  skins  were  on  hand,  ready  for  shipment.  I 
was  convinced  that  the  real  object  sought  was  pearls, 
but  I  could  find  no  evidence  that  pearl  oysters  had  been 
taken,  so  had  to  accept  the  bird-skin  story. 

The  Japanese  in  charge  of  the  party  came  off  and 
reported  all  his  men  well,  except  one,  who  was  suffer 
ing  from  beri-beri,  and  that  the  only  thing  wanted,  or, 
rather,  the  thing  they  wanted  most,  was  cigarettes  and 
tobacco.  Our  surgeon  treated  the  sick  man,  and  the 
ward-room  mess  gave  them  plenty  of  tobacco  and  fresh 
stores.  The  last  I  saw  of  them  they  were  carrying 
their  new-found  treasures  up  to  their  camp,  seemingly 
as  happy  as  if  they  were  at  home,  instead  of  on  a  deso 
late  island  in  the  middle  of  the  Pacific,  where  they  must 
remain  for  many  weary  months. 

Unless  natural  causes  fail,  this  island  will  continue 
to  grow,  and  may  some  day  become  an  important  point 
in  more  ways  than  one.  I  watched  it  with  keen  interest 

295 


An  Admiral's  Log 

as  we  went  on  our  way,  and  it  gradually  dropped  below 
the  horizon  astern  of  us.  I  had  a  strong  feeling  that  I 
should  like  to  join  the  Japanese  party  and  spend  a  few 
months  with  the  birds  and  fishes.  Robinson  Crusoe 
still  lingered  in  my  mind;  all  the  charm  of  his  doings 
had  not  entirely  faded  from  my  memory,  though  they 
had  been  read  to  me  when  I  was  a  small  boy. 

From  Wakes  Island  to  Guam  was  only  a  short  run, 
and  we  soon  covered  the  distance,  passing  as  we  did  so 
over  the  breeding  place  of  typhoons  and  hurricanes.  It 
is  now  known  that  all  the  circular  storms,  called  ty 
phoons,  which  do  such  damage  to  the  coasts  of  China 
and  Japan,  as  well  as  the  Philippine  Islands,  form  in 
the  tropical  seas  to  the  south  of  Guam,  and  then  start 
on  their  deadly  course.  In  their  earlier  days  they  do 
little  harm  in  the  islands,  but  when  they  recurve  and 
come  back,  which  they  sometimes  do,  they  are  very 
destructive,  leaving  nothing  but  ruin  in  their  wake. 
The  observatory  at  Manila,  owned  and  operated  by 
Catholic  priests,  gives  wonderfully  accurate  warnings 
of  these  storms.  Their  predictions  are  telegraphed  all 
over  the  East,  thus  benefiting  the  men  who  go  down  to 
the  sea  in  ships  as  well  as  those  who  dwell  on  shore. 
When  wireless  telegraphy  has  been  further  developed  it 
is  hoped  that  much  greater  good  may  be  done. 

We  found  the  harbour  at  Guam  a  perfect  one  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  but  when  a  severe  typhoon 
comes  twisting  along  very  dangerous.  By  the  expendi 
ture  of  a  reasonable  sum  of  money  it  could  be  made 
perfectly  safe  at  all  times.  Up  to  the  present  time  Con 
gress  had  refused  appropriations  for  the  purpose,  and 
the  harbour  remains  as  it  was  when  we  captured  the 

296 


Inhabitants  of  Guam 

island,  or,  rather,  took  possession  of  it,  for  there  was 
no  resistance  from  the  Spaniards.  The  island  is  ruled 
by  a  naval  officer  who,  under  the  title  of  governor, 
makes  and  unmakes  laws  as  he  may  find  it  necessary. 
Our  colliers  were  ready  for  us  when  we  anchored,  and 
while  the  ships  were  coaling  I  paid  my  respects  to  the 
governor.  I  found  him  in  his  capital,  Agana,  so  ill 
that  I  ordered  him  home  at  once.  Poor  fellow !  the  trip 
was  too  much  for  him,  and  he  died  before  reaching  San 
Francisco. 

The  inhabitants  of  Guam  are  quiet  and  peaceable, 
but  very  poor.  They  live  as  best  they  can  by  fishing 
and  cultivating  cocoanuts.  They  sell  the  copra  from  the 
cocoanut  trees  when  the  nuts  have  been  gathered,  but 
a  typhoon  will,  in  an  hour  sometimes,  destroy  the  entire 
crop,  and  then  much  misery  follows.  At  the  time  of 
my  visit  the  results  of  a  storm  that  had  swept  over  the 
island  a  year  before  were  evident  everywhere,  but  par 
ticularly  so  in  the  trees,  which  were  uprooted  and 
twisted  out  of  shape  on  all  sides.  The  people  were 
struggling  to  live  on  their  flocks  of  chickens  and  the 
little  garden  patches  which  they  cultivated  under  the 
glaring  tropical  sun.  It  may  be  truly  said  that  Guam  is 
of  little  value  to  us,  but  it  is  equally  true  that  it  would 
be  a  serious  threat  to  our  interests  in  the  East  if  it 
were  held  by  any  nation  unfriendly  to  us.  Therefore,  it 
seems  to  me  that  it  behooves  us  to  make  it  safe.  At 
present  there  is  not  a  gun  in  position  to  defend  it.  Any 
one  who  wants  it  can  take  it  in  an  hour.  Should  we 
defend  it  or  give  it  up?  To  answer  this  question  brings 
up  another  and  greater  question,  What  is  to  be  our 
policy  in  the  East?  That  some  one  else  must  answer. 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

From  Guam  we  could  reach  Manila  either  by  going 
around  the  north  end  of  the  island  of  Luzon  or  by  pass 
ing  through  the  straits  of  San  Bernardino,  thence  in 
side  through  the  islands.  I  preferred  the  latter,  as  I 
wished  to  judge  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered  by  an 
enemy's  fleet  in  case  we  ever  had  war,  and  to  see  what 
chance  there  would  be  for  forts  at  prominent  points. 
For  two  days  before  we  arrived  at  the  straits  we  ran  in 
a  dense  fog,  so  that  our  position  was  determined  by 
dead  reckoning.  At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  the 
navigators  reported  that  we  were  within  a  few  miles  of 
the  entrance,  but  the  fog  was  so  dense  that  nothing 
could  be  seen  four  hundred  yards  away.  I  had  about 
made  up  my  mind  to  change  course  and  stand  off  shore, 
when  I  heard  the  familiar  sound  of  surf  ahead  of  us. 
We  stood  on,  and  in  a  few  minutes  made  out  the  light 
house,  which  gave  us  something  to  run  by.  In  two 
hours  we  were  inside.  The  fog  lifted  over  the  land, 
and  we  made  an  excellent  run  to  Manila,  where  we 
anchored  just  after  daylight,  having  entered,  as  Dewey 
did,  in  the  dark.  The  cruisers  followed  the  next  day, 
having  made  a  most  successful  full-speed  run  to  test 
their  engines. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

FROM    HONG   KONG   TO   NEW   YORK 

ONCE  more  back  at  our  unsavoury  anchorage  in 
Manila  Bay,  we  lost  no  time  in  preparing  for  the  target 
practice  that  was  to  show  the  result  of  our  long  and 
faithful  training.  I  called  on  Governor  Taft  at  once, 
but  found  him  far  from  well.  He  was  suffering  from  a 
stomach  trouble,  brought  on,  no  doubt,  by  the  intense 
heat  and  the  amount  of  work  he  was  compelled  to  do. 
The  question  of  settling  for  the  church  property  in  the 
Philippines  was  up  for  discussion  and  final  adjustment, 
and  this  gave  the  governor  great  concern.  The  Papal 
delegate,  Monsignore  Guidi,  did  me  the  honour  to  call  on 
me,  showed  great  interest  in  my  flagship  and  her  men, 
and  afterwards  invited  me  to  dine  with  him,  which  I 
did  in  company  with  Governor  Taft,  General  Davis, 
and  other  distinguished  men.  I  have  never  in  my  life 
tasted  such  Italian  wine  as  was  served  on  his  table, 
except  that  used  by  the  Duke  of  Abruzzi  during  the 
visit  of  the  Italian  ships  to  the  Jamestown  Exposition. 
When  the  church  question  had  been  finally  settled  the 
Filipinos  understood  pretty  well  what  Monsignore  Guidi 
thought  of  them.  As  he  expressed  it  to  me,  "  They  are 
to  be  regarded  as  children  in  church  matters  as  well  as 
in  statecraft." 

A  target  range  was  laid  out  in  Manila  Bay,  and  for 
299 


An  Admiral's  Log 

several  weeks  nothing  was  done  or  thought  of  except 
target  firing.  While  one  ship  was  on  the  range  the 
others  were  anchored  so  that  officers  and  men  could  see 
the  effect  of  the  firing.  While  the  spirit  of  rivalry  ran 
high,  every  ship  that  made  a  good  score  was  generously 
applauded  by  all  the  others.  My  flag  lieutenant,  Chapin, 
was  chief  umpire  for  all  the  firing,  and  witnessed  every 
shot  fired  by  the  fleet.  Every  possible  precaution  was 
taken  against  accidents  of  all  kinds,  and  not  a  single 
man  was  seriously  hurt  during  the  practice.  Lieutenant 
Evans,  aide  on  my  staff,  served  as  target  umpire  during 
the  entire  practice.  He  not  only  counted  the  hits,  but 
repaired  all  targets,  which,  owing  to  the  heavy  sea  at 
times  experienced,  was  most  difficult  and  dangerous 
work.  Wet  to  the  skin  most  of  the  time,  and  with 
hands  and  face  blistered  by  the  sun,  he  pluckily  stuck  to 
his  job  until  the  last  shot  had  been  fired.  The  new  Mer- 
ritt  sights  gave  great  satisfaction,  and  I  immediately 
ordered  them  fitted  to  all  turret  guns  where  this  had 
not  already  been  done.  After  the  firing  was  completed, 
it  was  thought  that  the  Kentucky  had  won  the  battle 
ship  trophy,  but  later  it  was  found,  in  Washington,  that 
the  coveted  prize  went  to  the  Oregon  by  a  very  close 
margin.  It  certainly  reflected  great  credit  on  the  offi 
cers  and  men  of  that  ship  to  win,  handicapped  as  they 
were  in  many  ways.  The  firing  of  all  ships  was  excel 
lent,  when  we  consider  that  they  had  just  completed 
an  ocean  run  such  as  never  before  attempted  by  the 
vessels  of  any  other  navy.  It  must  also  be  considered, 
in  making  up  the  account,  that  most  of  the  training  of 
gun  pointers  had  been  done  at  sea  in  rough  water. 

Many  reports  by  able  officers  or  boards  of  officers 
300 


Importance  of  Olongapo 

had  been  sent  to  Washington  showing  the  importance 
of  establishing  a  fine  naval  station  at  Olongapo,  in 
Subig  Bay,  about  fifty  miles  from  Manila.  The  Span 
iards  had  recognised  the  value  of  the  location  by  mak 
ing  it  their  main  naval  station  in  the  islands.  They 
were  removing  the  machinery  from  Cavite  to  the  new 
buildings  at  Olongapo  when  the  war  came  on  and.  we 
took  possession.  Many  of  the  buildings,  which  were 
of  fine  construction  and  design,  were  badly  damaged  by 
our  gun  fire,  but  we  patched  them  up  and  managed  to 
use  them,  hoping  that  Congress  would  give  us  money 
for  a  complete  plant.  The  money,  however,  has  never 
been  appropriated,  and  we  are  as  far  from  a  naval  sta 
tion  in  the  East  now  as  we  were  a  month  after  Manila 
was  captured.  The  same  influence  is  always  at  work  to 
keep  the  station  at  Cavite — it  succeeded  with  the  Span 
iards,  and,  so  far,  it  has  succeeded  with  us.  The  peo 
ple  of  Manila  want  the  money  the  station  brings  rather 
than  have  it  spent  at  Olongapo.  Practically  all  the 
commanders-in-chief  who  have  looked  carefully  into  the 
subject  have  recommended  Olongapo.  One  of  them 
was  frank  enough  to  say,  "  Olongapo  is  unquestionably 
the  place  for  the  station,  but  I  hope  it  will  not  be  estab 
lished  there  until  I  am  relieved !  "  The  attractions  of 
the  Army  and  Navy  Club  at  Manila  and  the  pleasures 
of  social  life  in  the  city  are  in  strong  contrast  with  the 
isolation  of  Olongapo,  and  they  have  undoubtedly  had 
their  effect.  Finally,  the  opinion  of  officers  of  the  army 
to  the  effect  that  they  cannot  defend  Subig  Bay  against 
an  enemy  with  less  than  one  hundred  thousand  men 
seems  to  have  settled  the  question,  and  if  we  have  any 
naval  base  in  the  East,  it  must  be  near  Manila,  where  it 

301 


An  Admiral's  Log 

will  necessarily  be  exposed  to  fire  in  case  of  war.  We 
are  not  assured  that  the  army  can  defend  Manila  with 
one  hundred  thousand  men,  or,  indeed,  any  other  port 
in  the  Philippines.  And  yet  the  opinions  of  able  naval 
men  about  a  naval  station  are  set  aside  and  their  advice 
not  taken  when  they  assert,  without  serious  contradic 
tion,  that  no  power  can  hold  Manila  Bay  with  an  enemy 
in  possession  of  Subig  Bay.  It  is  Santiago  and  Guan- 
tanamo  over  again.  When  Sampson  occupied  Guan- 
tanamo  the  fate  of  Santiago  was  decided. 

I  received  cable  instructions  when  I  returned  to 
Manila,  to  examine  Olongapo  and  see  if  a  suitable  site 
could  be  found  for  a  coal  depot  to  contain  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  tons  of  coal.  This  was  done 
immediately  by  imposing  much  extra  work  on  officers 
who  were  engrossed  with  their  target  practice,  and  full 
reports,  with  plan  drawings,  sent  to  the  Navy  Depart 
ment.  After  years  of  waiting,  the  depot  was  built,  and 
we  have  that  much  of  a  naval  station  at  least.  One  or 
two  more  scares  over  war  with  Japan  or  some  other 
nation  may  bring  the  rest  of  it.  We  seem  to  realise  our 
necessities  more  keenly  under  threat,  but  it  costs  more 
in  the  end. 

As  the  end  of  January  came  it  was  plain  to  all  that 
war  between  Russia  and  Japan  was  a  question  of  days 
only.  We  had  one  vessel,  one  gunboat,  the  Helena,  in 
mid  dock  at  Newchwang,  frozen  in  so  completely  that 
it  was  impossible  to  move  her,  and  another,  the  Vicks- 
burg,  at  Chemulpo,  where  she  had  gone  with  a  trans 
port  to  land  one  hundred  marines  for  the  protection  of 
our  legation  at  Seoul.  All  the  other  vessels  were  in 
Manila  except  the  station  ships  at  Canton  and  Shang- 

302 


Russian  Activities  at  Newchwang 

hai  and  the  two  small  gunboats  on  river  service  in 
China.  A  report  came  that  the  Russians  were  forcibly 
detaining  an  American  ship  at  Port  Arthur,  and  to 
verify  this  and  give  proper  protection  I  sent  Admiral 
Cooper  with  the  cruiser  division  to  Shanghai.  I  di 
rected  him  to  proceed  to  Port  Arthur  with  his  flagship 
and  report  to  me  and  to  the  Navy  Department  the 
exact  conditions  he  might  find.  At  the  same  time  I 
wired  Washington,  and  in  return  received  an  order  not 
to  send  any  vessel  of  the  fleet  north  of  Shanghai !  Ad 
miral  Cooper  was  intercepted  and  sent  to  Shanghai,  but 
before  he  arrived  there  another  order  came  by  wire  to 
send  a  suitable  vessel  to  cruise  between  Chefoo  and 
Chemulpo  to  keep  in  touch  with  our  minister  to  Korea 
in  case  the  cables  were  cut.  It  looked  to  us  on  the  spot 
as  if  Washington  was  getting  things  a  bit  mixed  up! 
We  had  a  vessel  at  Chemulpo — in  fact,  two  of  them, 
one  a  transport — but  I  immediately  sent  another,  and 
did  all  in  my  power  to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  De 
partment  as  far  as  I  knew  them. 

In  the  meantime  our  gunboat  at  Newchwang  became 
an  object  of  deep  interest.  The  commanding  officer 
wired  me  that  the  Russian  authorities  had  decided  to 
block  the  channel,  and  for  that  purpose  had  loaded  one 
hundred  junks  with  stone  and  would  sink  them  in  a  few 
days.  Newchwang  was  a  Chinese  treaty  port  open  to 
the  commerce  of  the  world,  and  China  was  not  at  war 
with  either  Russia  or  Japan !  One  of  our  national  ves 
sels  was  in  the  port,  lawfully  there,  and  our  commer 
cial  interests  were  great.  If  the  channel  should  be 
blocked  with  stone-laden  vessels,  the  Helena  would  be 
rendered  useless  and  our  commercial  interests  seriously 

303 


An  Admiral's  Log 

hampered.  I  therefore  wired  the  captain  of  the  He 
lena  :  "  Newchwang  treaty  port ;  channel  must  not  be 
obstructed."  This  message  was,  of  course,  shown  to 
our  consul,  and  its  purport  became  known  to  the  Rus 
sians.  I  received  great  abuse  from  their  newspapers, 
but  they  hesitated  to  sink  the  stone  barges,  and  eventu 
ally  gave  up  the  idea.  Whether  my  message  had  any 
influence  with  them  I  have  no  means  of  knowing.  Of 
course,  I  wired  Washington  what  I  had  done.  Three 
days  elapsed,  and  then  came  this  answer : 

"  Neither  force  nor  threat  of  force  must  be  used  to 
prevent  the  blocking  of  the  channel  to  Newchwang." 

The  moment  the  ice  could  be  broken  I  had  the 
Helena  relieved  from  her  dangerous  position. 

On  the  8th  of  February  the  war  cloud  burst,  and 
Russia  and  Japan  found  themselves  entered  on  a  strug 
gle  the  like  of  which  has  not  been  seen  in  modern  times. 
The  first  act  in  the  drama  was  startling.  By  it  the 
world  was  shown  a  new  method  of  opening  hostilities. 
A  Japanese  admiral,  before  a  declaration  of  war,  sent  a 
note  to  the  captain  of  a  Russian  cruiser  lying  in  a  neu 
tral  port  telling  him  that  unless  he  left  his  anchorage 
before  a  certain  hour  he  would  sink  him !  The  proposi 
tion  was  so  startling,  so  new,  so  at  variance  with  cus 
tom  and  international  law,  that  men  did  not  believe  it 
was  serious  until  the  result  of  the  fight  that  followed  a 
few  hours  later  was  flashed  over  the  wire.  The  Rus 
sian  cruiser  Variag  and  the  gunboat  Koritz  were  an 
chored  in  the  harbour  of  Chemulpo,  Korea.  At  the 
same  time,  in  the  same  harbour,  in  close  proximity  to 
these,  were  anchored  one  American  gunboat  and  one 
transport,  one  English  cruiser,  one  French  cruiser,  and 

304 


Japan  Begins  War 

one  German  cruiser,  so  that  the  harbour  was  fairly  well 
crowded  with  war  vessels  of  various  nations — all  these 
under  treaty  rights  in  a  neutral  port.  The  Japanese 
squadron,  composed  of  a  number  of  cruisers,  anchored 
eight  or  ten  miles  down  the  river  below  Round  Island, 
and  from  that  point  the  admiral  sent  a  torpedo  boat 
with  an  officer  bearing  the  note  above  mentioned  to  the 
captain  of  the  Variag.  Why  these  Russian  ships  were 
left  in  a  river  from  which  they  could  not  possibly  escape 
when  war  came,  and  why  Japan  deliberately  violated 
the  neutrality  of  Korea,  are  questions  for  some  one  else 
to  answer.  They  are  not  pertinent  to  my  story,  nor  do 
I  know  what  advice,  if  any,  was  given  to  the  captain  of 
the  Variag  when  he  showed  the  note  to  the  other  cap 
tains.  He  did  not  consult  the  American  captain,  so  far 
as  I  am  informed,  but  what  actually  took  place  we  know 
all  about.  It  would  have  been  most  instructive  for  na 
val  men  to  know  what  would  have  happened  if  the  Rus 
sian  captain  had  simply  "  called  the  Japanese  bluff,"  for 
such  we  must  regard  it,  and  remained  quietly  at  his 
anchorage  among  the  foreign  fleet  without  making  any 
answer  to  the  note!  It  may  be  doubted  that  the  Jap 
anese  would  have  fired  a  single  shot  at  him  under  such 
conditions. 

When  the  torpedo  boat  had  disappeared  on  her  re 
turn  to  the  Japanese  squadron,  the  Variag  was  cleared 
for  action,  got  under  way,  and  steamed  toward  the  Jap 
anese  squadron,  which  was  drawn  up  in  battle  forma 
tion.  A  short,  sharp  engagement  followed,  and  the 
Variag,  severely  punished  by  Japanese  shells,  returned 
to  her  anchorage,  badly  listed  to  port  and  on  fire  aft. 
Many  of  her  officers  and  men  had  been  killed  and  a 

305 


An  Admiral's  Log 

large  number  of  them  wounded.  As  soon  as  her  anchor 
was  down,  her  captain  asked  that  his  crew  might  be 
taken  on  board  the  various  foreign  ships,  and  that  the 
captain  of  the  English  cruiser  would  fire  a  few  shells 
through  the  bottom  of  the  Variag  in  order  that  she 
would  surely  sink  before  the  Japanese  could  capture 
her !  The  English  captain  declined  to  fire,  as  requested, 
but  the  crew  was  taken  off  by  him,  assisted  by  the 
French  and  German  vessels.  The  American  captain 
offered  medical  aid  and  assistance,  but  declined  to  re 
ceive  any  of  the  crew  on  board,  on  the  ground  that 
Chemulpo  was  a  neutral  port,  and  that  the  Russian 
wounded  could  be  cared  for  in  the  hospitals  on  shore 
and  the  well  men  looked  after  by  the  Russian  minister. 
This  position  was  so  evidently  right  and  sound  that  it 
met  with  the  prompt  approval  of  the  commander-in- 
chief,  and  afterwards  the  home  government. 

The  sea  valves  of  the  Variag  were  opened,  and  she 
sank  shortly  after  the  crew  had  been  removed.  When 
she  took  the  bottom  she  turned  over  on  one  side,  and 
remained  in  that  position  until  the  Japanese  raised 
her,  two  years  later,  and  transferred  her  to  their  flag. 
The  Koritz  was  set  on  fire  and,  after  burning  a 
short  time,  her  magazine  exploded,  completely  destroy 
ing  her. 

On  the  following  morning,  February  Qth,  some  time 
before  sunrise,  the  Japanese  torpedo  boats  attacked  the 
Russian  fleet,  anchored  in  two  lines  off  Port  Arthur. 
Most  of  the  Russian  officers  were  on  shore  at  a  ball, 
still  maintaining,  I  suppose,  that  Japan  was  afraid  to 
attack  them.  The  torpedo  attack,  though  well  planned 
and  gallantly  executed,  resulted  in  little  serious  harm 

306 


Homeward  Bound 

to  the  fleet.  Three  ships  were  so  damaged  between 
the  torpedoes  and  the  rocks  on  which  they  were  run 
in  the  confusion  following  the  attack  that  they  were 
out  of  commission  for  a  short  time,  but  they  were  all 
repaired  and  ready  when  again  called  on  for  service, 
which  I  think  conclusively  proves  two  things :  first,  that 
the  torpedo  failed  to  do  what  its  admirers  had  claimed 
for  it,  and,  second,  that  the  Russian  workmen  who  did 
the  repair  work  were  excellent  mechanics,  or  they  could 
not  have  accomplished  so  much  with  the  tools  they  had. 
The  torpedo  established  a  record  for  inefficiency  which 
it  maintained  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Early  in  the 
month  of  March  orders  came  for  me  to  turn  over  the 
command  of  the  station  to  Admiral  Cooper  in  April, 
and  then  return  in  my  flagship  to  New  York.  I  left 
Manila  during  the  latter  part  of  May  for  Hong  Kong, 
where  the  Kentucky  was  placed  in  dock,  had  her  bottom 
cleaned  and  painted,  and  such  repairs  made  as  were  nec 
essary  for  the  run  home.  In  order  that  the  Department 
might  learn  the  speed  a  division  of  battleships  could 
make,  I  ordered  that  the  voyage  home  should  be  made 
as  nearly  as  possible  at  the  speed  a  squadron  of  such 
ships  could  maintain  over  the  same  route.  When  all 
was  in  readiness  I  transferred  the  command,  as  directed, 
and  got  under  way  for  Colombo,  in  the  island  of  Cey 
lon.  Rear-Admiral  Yates  Sterling  succeeded  to  the 
command  of  the  cruiser  squadron,  and  another  flag  offi 
cer  was  ordered  to  the  Philippine  division. 

The  run  to  Colombo  was  made  without  stopping  at 
Singapore.  In  the  straits  of  Malacca  we  passed  during 
the  night  the  division  of  United  States  torpedo-boat  de 
stroyers  on  its  way  from  New  York  to  Manila,  con- 

307 


An  Admiral's  Log 

voyed  by  the  transport  Buffalo.  They  seemed  in  good 
condition  after  their  long  cruise,  and  eventually  arrived 
at  their  destination,  where  they  have  since  been  held 
ready  for  service. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  imagine  a  smoother  sea 
than  we  had  on  this  run.  The  monsoon  had  not  yet 
shown  any  force,  and  I  am  sure  one  could  have  made 
the  trip  in  a  shell  boat,  so  far  as  the  sea  was  concerned. 
On  arrival  at  Colombo,  coal  was  taken  in  at  once  and 
the  men  given  liberty. 

After  making  the  necessary  official  calls  and  looking 
through  the  shops,  I  ran  up  to  Kandy,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  trips  in  the  world.  Aside  from  the  beauty  of 
the  scenery,  I  was  greatly  interested  in  the  tea  farms 
from  which  Sir  Thomas  Lipton  furnishes  tea  to  the 
world.  The  railroad,  which  gradually  climbs  to  an  ele 
vation  of  six  thousand  feet,  is  one  of  the  most  wonder 
ful  ever  constructed.  At  one  point  the  train  on  which 
we  were  travelling  stopped  on  a  shelf  of  rock  while  we 
enjoyed  for  a  few  moments  the  view  from  the  car  win 
dows.  The  rocky  mountain  rose  sheer  four  thousand 
feet,  so  abruptly  that  a  stone  dropped  from  our  position 
would  land  in  the  valley  below.  So  far  as  one  could 
see,  there  was  one  vast  tea  farm  covering  the  entire 
country.  At  Kandy  we  found  very  comfortable  quar 
ters  at  an  inn  on  the  borders  of  a  fine  artificial  lake, 
which  furnished  a  plentiful  water  supply  to  the  town. 
Some  distance  below  the  lake  there  was  a  large  pool 
where  the  sacred  elephants  were  taken  for  their  daily 
bath,  when  those  so  disposed  could  view  the  herd  of 
great  beasts  as  they  enjoyed  their  frolic.  One  object  of 
special  interest  in  Kandy  is  the  tooth  of  Buddha.  I 

308 


In  Ceylon 

gave  little  time  to  this  fraud,  but  hurried  off  to  the 
botanical  garden,  the  finest  probably  in  the  world,  con 
taining,  as  it  does,  every  variety  of  shrub  or  tree  of  the 
tropic  and  temperate  zones.  I  spent  hours  among  the 
most  gorgeous  and  beautiful  flowers  I  had  ever  seen. 
The  trees  were  of  intense  interest,  among  them  every 
variety,  from  the  deadly  upas  to  the  one  from  which 
cocaine  is  made.  There  were  fine  specimens  of  all  the 
spice  trees  known  in  the  tropics  and  many  of  the  hard 
wood  varieties. 

At  the  inn  we  enjoyed  all  the  usual  .luxuries  of  the 
East  Indies — curries  and  spiced  dishes  for  dinner,  and 
in  the  evening  the  inevitable  snake  charmer  with  his 
hideous  trained  cobra.  During  the  day  we  were  beset 
by  the  gang  of  jewel  merchants  who  live  on  the  lamb 
like  globe  trotters.  They  offered  beautiful  stones  at  ex 
orbitant  sums,  but,  finding  that  we  had  been  in  the  East 
before,  they  came  down  in  their  prices  from  pounds 
sterling  to  shillings  for  the  glass  trinkets  which  at  first 
were  rubies  or  diamonds. 

On  my  return  to  Colombo  I  visited  some  of  the 
beautiful  shops  where  real  gems  are  sold.  In  one  of 
them  I  saw  a  bowl  of  pearls  emptied  out  on  a  piece  of 
velvet  to  show  their  beauty.  The  contents  of  the  bowl 
were  valued  at  a  little  over  one  million  dollars!  I  had 
no  money  to  invest  in  pearls,  but  I  certainly  did  enjoy 
seeing  them,  without  the  least  envy  for  the  more  for 
tunate  ones  who  could  own  them.  At  one  shop  I  was 
shown  the  latest  find  in  the  way  of  a  valuable  pearl. 
The  pearl-oyster  business  in  Ceylon  leads  to  consider 
able  gambling  in  an  innocent  way.  The  oysters,  after 
being  gathered,  are  brought  into  market  and  sold,  after 
21  309 


An  Admiral's  Log 

which  they  are  examined  for  pearls.  Persons  so  dis 
posed  buy  them,  as  they  would  buy  lottery  tickets,  for 
the  chance  of  finding  something  valuable.  A  native  boy 
had  spent  all  the  small  change  he  had  in  buying  a  few 
oysters  at  a  time,  but  for  a  long  time  found  no  pearls  of 
value.  Just  before  we  arrived,  having  a  few  cents  in 
hand,  he  had  bought  two  oysters.  The  first  one  he 
opened  contained  the  pearl  shown  me.  It  was  perfectly 
round,  of  exquisite  lustre,  and  valued  at  ten  thousand 
dollars !  The  boy  was  educated  in  pearls,  and  only  gave 
up  his  find  on  the  payment  of  eight  thousand  dollars! 
It  would  be  interesting  to  trace  the  subsequent  history 
of  this  lad  to  see  if  he  becomes  a  "  pearl  king,"  after  the 
fashion  of  some  of  our  mining  "  kings "  who  made 
their  first  "  strike  "  in  the  same  lucky  fashion. 

From  Colombo  to  Port  Said  we  had  delightful 
weather,  very  hot  in  the  Red  Sea,  but  with  no  gales  to 
bother  us.  The  passage  through  the  Suez  Canal  was 
successfully  made  without  any  injury  from  grounding 
or  collision.  After  the  first  few  hours  it  became  monot 
onous,  and  we  were  glad  when  the  Mediterranean 
showed  blue  in  the  distance.  When  we  had  coaled  and 
bought  as  many  curios  as  we  thought  the  customs 
officers  would  allow  us  to  land  at  New  York,  we 
left  the  coast  of  Egypt  and  arrived  at  Naples  on  April 
23d. 

Passing  through  the  straits  of  Messina,  which  have 
since  witnessed  the  destruction  of  a  beautiful  Italian 
city  and  the  greatest  loss  of  life  ever  caused  by  an  earth 
quake,  I  was  struck  with  the  wonderful  force  of  the 
current.  At  times  it  was  all  the  powerful  engines  of 
the  Kentucky  could  do  to  keep  her  on  her  course.  She 

310 


Arrival  at  Naples 

yawed  and  reeled  about  like  a  drunken  ship,  but  she 
finally  pulled  through  without  accident.  How  different 
must  have  been  the  conditions  surrounding  St.  Paul 
when  in  this  locality  he  performed  that  wonderful  piece 
of  seamanship,  "  anchoring  by  the  stern  ship,"  as  de 
scribed  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles!  As  we  passed 
Stromboli,  that  veteran  in  the  earthquake  world  was 
growling  and  smoking,  occasionally  throwing  masses 
of  stones  and  ashes  into  the  air.  The  sides  of  the 
mountain  were  beautifully  cultivated  where  the  lava 
would  allow  vines  to  grow,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
villages  about  its  base  seemed  to  be  following  their  avo 
cations  without  fear  of  danger. 

Our  trip  to  Naples  was  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
coal,  which  was  cheaper  there  than  at  any  other  con 
venient  point.  I  was  surprised,  on  anchoring  at  seven 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April  29th,  to  find  myself  in 
the  presence  of  a  large  assemblage  of  warships.  The 
officer  who  boarded  us  informed  me  that  the  Italian 
and  French  fleets  were  assembled  in  honour  of  the  Presi 
dent  of  France,  who  was  present  as  the  guest  of  the 
King  of  Italy,  and  that  the  two  rulers  would  review 
them  at  ten  o'clock  that  morning. 

Feeling  that  I  might  be  unwelcome  at  such  a  mo 
ment,  I  explained  that  nothing  was  known  of  the  visit 
of  the  President  when  I  left  the  canal,  and  that  I  would 
go  to  sea  at  once  until  after  the  ceremony,  if  so  desired. 
I  was  informed  that  we  were  very  welcome,  and  that 
the  minister  of  marine  and  the  admiral  commanding 
hoped  I  would  join  in  the  festivities. 

The  Kentucky  was  given  a  berth  next  the  French 
flagship.  We  dressed  ship  at  eight  o'clock,  and  there- 


An  Admiral's  Log 

after  followed  the  motions  of  the  French  admiral.  At 
ten  o'clock  a  fine  new  Italian  battleship  came  out  from 
the  inner  harbour,  flying  the  French  flag  at  one  mast 
head  and  the  Italian  at  the  other.  Then  the  guns  began 
to  boom,  and  for  more  than  an  hour  it  sounded  as  if  a 
battle  were  being  fought.  The  reviewing  party  twice 
passed  the  Kentucky,  and  each  time  a  superb  band 
played  our  national  air,  while  hundreds  of  glasses  in 
spected  us.  Our  band  played  first  the  French  and  then 
the  Italian  national  airs,  and  officers  and  men  in  full 
dress  saluted  and  stood  at  attention  until  the  next  ship 
in  the  line  saluted.  When  the  review  was  over,  the  Presi 
dent  boarded  one  of  his  own  ships,  and  the  French  fleet 
got  under  way  and  sailed  for  home.  During  the  after 
noon  the  Kentucky  was  moored  in  the  inner  harbour 
between  Sir  Thomas  Lipton's  yacht,  the  Erin,  and  the 
King's  yacht,  the  battleship  Regina  Margarita.  Coal 
lighters  were  taken  alongside  and  all  preparations  made 
for  coaling.  After  the  inevitable  round  of  calls,  I  was 
at  liberty  to  go  on  shore  for  one  of  the  best  dinners  I 
ever  enjoyed. 

About  eleven  o'clock  the  next  day,  while  coaling 
from  lighters  on  both  sides,  and  with  the  coal  dust  so 
thick  that  one  could  hardly  breathe,  an  officer  in  full 
dress  came  alongside  and  said  that  the  King  was  coming 
to  visit  me.  I  explained  that  we  were  in  the  midst  of 
coaling,  and  asked  when  his  Majesty  was  coming. 
Much  to  my  surprise,  the  officer  answered,  "  He  is  com 
ing  now ;  will  be  here  in  a  few  minutes !  "  It  was  one  of 
those  surprises  that  some  practical  rulers  like  to  spring 
on  people,  that  they  may  see  things  not  shown  when 
on  dress  parade.  As  the  King  came  alongside,  our 

312 


A  Visit  from  the  King  of  Italy 

men  dropped  the  coal  whips  and  stood  at  attention.  I 
explained  the  situation  and  asked  to  be  excused  for  the 
appearance  of  my  ship,  to  which  his  Majesty  replied 
that  he  was  most  anxious  to  see  just  how  we  took  in 
coal  so  rapidly,  and  in  turn  asked  me  to  excuse  him  for 
coming  at  such  a  time.  He  wanted  to  see  everything 
in  the  ship,  and  he  did.  There  was  not  a  thing  that 
escaped  his  keen  eyes,  from  the  bayonet  scabbards  of 
the  marines  to  the  superimposed  turrets.  After  a  most 
thorough  inspection,  he  expressed  great  admiration  for 
the  Kentucky  and  took  his  departure.  Two  days  later 
I  dined  with  his  Majesty  in  the  palace  at  Naples,  where 
I  met  many  distinguished  men,  among  them  the  marine 
artist  Martino,  who  so  graciously  decorated  my  menu 
cards  years  before  when  I  was  giving  a  dinner  to  his 
Majesty  the  Emperor  of  Germany.  The  dinner  was,  of 
course,  excellent  in  every  way,  particularly  in  the  wines. 
The  only  lasting  impression  on  my  mind  is  about  the 
toothpicks,  which  were  served  when  the  cloth  was  re 
moved.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  seen  this  done 
at  a  state  dinner.  They  were  medically  treated  with 
some  chemical  which  coloured  one-half  the  pick  black, 
and  were  served  in  their  paper  envelopes,  bearing  the 
royal  coat  of  arms.  I  was  unfavourably  impressed 
with  the  number  of  guards  we  had  to  pass  on  our  way 
from  the  palace  until  we  were  received  by  the  King. 
There  were  three,  I  think,  before  we  left  our  carriage, 
and  then  one  on  each  floor  as  we  ascended  to  the  recep 
tion  room,  which  was  in  one  of  the  upper  stories.  On 
asking  some  question  about  it,  I  was  told  that  the  King 
was  very  democratic  and  did  not  approve  of  the  guards, 
but  that  it  was  considered  necessary  to  have  them, 

313 


An  Admiral's  Log 

though  both  he  and  the  Queen  were  very  popular  with 
the  people.  At  times  his  Majesty  would  elude  them 
and  take  long  walks  by  himself  or  with  some  chosen 
companion. 

The  day  after  leaving  Naples  we  had  a  good  look 
at  the  British  fleet,  which  was  having  manoeuvres  about 
the  Island  of  Corsica.  We  came  upon  them  entirely  by 
accident  just  after  daylight,  and  could  not  avoid  seeing 
what  they  were  doing.  I  passed  close  enough  to  the 
commander-in-chief  to  exchange  salutes  with  him  and 
count  his  twenty-four  battleships  and  two  divisions  of 
cruisers.  They  made  a  very  fine  appearance,  but  the 
cruisers  were  rolling  so  badly  that  their  gun  fire  would 
not  have  proved  very  destructive,  while  they  ex 
posed  their  under-water  bodies  to  an  alarming  extent. 
We  watched  them  with  longing  eyes,  and  wondered 
if  we  might  ever  see  such  a  fleet  under  our  own  dear 
flag. 

A  stop  of  two  days  was  made  at  Gibraltar,  and  then 
we  ran  down  to  Madeira,  filled  up  with  coal,  and  started 
for  a  record  run  to  New  York.  For  a  few  days  we 
averaged  about  fifteen  knots,  then  the  sea  became  so 
heavy  that  I  had  to  slow  to  twelve  knots  to  prevent 
washing  everything  off  the  forward  bridge.  The  sea 
soon  moderated,  however,  and  we  again  ma'de  our  best 
speed.  On  arrival  in  New  York  we  found  that  we  had 
the  record  for  battleships — none  had  ever  before  made 
such  good  time  for  so  long  a  distance.  With  the  ex 
ception  of  a  broken  cylinder  ring,  which  delayed  us  two 
hours  and  a  half  after  leaving  Madeira,  not  an  accident 
of  any  kind  had  marred  the  trip  from  Hong  Kong. 

When  we  arrived  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Depart- 
314 


Home  Again 

ment  to  place  the  Kentucky  out  of  commission,  but  an 
inspection  showed  that  this  was  not  necessary,  though 
a  number  of  repairs  were  required  to  keep  her  in  serv 
ice.  These  were  made,  and  the  ship  served  until  the 
summer  of  1909  before  she  was  placed  in  reserve. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

IN   COMMAND  OF   NORTH   ATLANTIC  SQUADRON 

EARLY  in  June  I  was  relieved  from  sea  duty  and 
again  ordered  to  the  Lighthouse  Board.  I  was  imme 
diately  elected  chairman  of  the  board,  and  took  up  the 
duties  which  were,  next  to  going  to  sea,  my  choice. 
The  Lighthouse  establishment  has  always  been  a  branch 
of  the  Treasury  Department,  but  during  my  absence 
in  the  East  this  had  been  changed,  and  it  was  now  a 
part  of  the  newly  organised  Department  of  Com 
merce  and  Labour.  Mr.  Metcalf,  formerly  a  member 
of  Congress  from  California,  was  its  Secretary.  He 
afterwards  became  Secretary  of  the  Navy  for  a  time 
during  the  last  half  of  Mr.  Roosevelt's  term  as 
President. 

When  I  received  orders  to  the  Lighthouse  Board  I 
expected  to  remain  on  that  duty  for  at  least  three  years. 
I  had  just  completed  the  usual  command  of  two  years 
for  an  admiral  afloat.  It  was,  therefore,  reasonable  to 
assume  that  I  would  not  again  be  called  on  for  sea  serv 
ice,  and  on  this  assumption  I  settled  down  to  my  new 
duties,  taking  up  many  things  in  which  I  was  deeply 
interested.  I  was  again  impressed  with  the  dignity  and 
responsibility  of  the  position  I  was  given.  There  is  no 
other  position  a  naval  officer  can  hold  on  shore  which, 
with  so  much  useful  work,  gives  opportunity  for  so 

316 


Another  Sea  Command 

much  pleasure.  My  intention  was  to  remain  as  chair 
man  of  the  board  until  I  retired — even  longer  if  I  might 
be  permitted  to  do  so. 

In  December,  1904,  rumours  reached  me  that  I  was 
to  have  another  sea  command.  I  paid  no  attention  to 
these  reports  for  a  time,  but  they  were  so  persistent  that 
I  asked  the  chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation  if  he 
could  tell  me  what  they  amounted  to.  His  reply  was 
that  it  was  his  intention  to  ask  the  President  to  order 
me  to  command  the  North  Atlantic  Squadron,  unless  I 
seriously  objected.  No  flag  officer  can  "  seriously  ob 
ject  "  to  a  command  afloat  with  safety  to  his  reputation. 
I  informed  the  chief  that  I  was  subject  to  the  orders  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  that  I  never  sought  orders, 
and  never  declined  nor  hesitated  to  obey  them  when 
received.  A  few  days  later  the  Secretary,  Mr.  Paul 
Morton,  sent  for  me.  He  said  that  the  President  had 
spoken  of  giving  me  the  command  of  the  home  squad 
ron,  and  asked  if  I  would  like  to  have  it.  Of  course,  I 
replied  that  nothing  would  suit  me  better,  and  that  I 
should  consider  it  a  great  honour.  This  settled  the  mat 
ter,  and  I  was  directed  later  to  proceed  to  Pensacola, 
Florida,  and  on  March  28th  relieve  Rear-Admiral 
Barker  of  his  command.  This  ended  my  connection 
with  the  Lighthouse  Board,  for  I  knew  that  when  my 
turn  again  came  for  shore  duty  I  should  be  on  the 
retired  list. 

Long  before  my  orders  were  actually  issued  I  began 
my  search  for  suitable  staff  officers.  My  new  duties 
I  knew  would  be  more  exacting  than  any  I  had  be 
fore  performed,  and  I  was  sure  they  would  steadily 
increase  with  the  growth  of  the  fleet.  New  battleships 

317 


An  Admiral's  Log 

were  being  rapidly  constructed,  and  would  be  added  to 
the  North  Atlantic  Squadron  as  fast  as  completed. 

Captain  J.  E.  Pillsbury,  Assistant  to  the  chief  of  the 
Bureau  of  Navigation,  was  selected  as  chief  of  my  staff. 
No  officer  in  the  navy  had  a  better  reputation  than  he, 
and  I  was  most  fortunate  in  securing  his  detail.  He 
served  his  full  term  with  me,  and  I  am  safe  in  saying 
that  the  fine  condition  of  the  squadron  was  due  in  great 
measure  to  his  untiring  efforts  and  devotion  to  duty. 
For  flag  secretary,  a  most  difficult  post  to  fill  and  the 
most  confidential  on  the  staff,  I  secured  the  services  of 
Lieutenant-Commander  Carlos  B.  Brittain,  who  had 
been  the  ordnance  officer  of  the  Kentucky  in  the  East. 
He  was  admirably  fitted  for  the  work,  combining,  as  he 
did,  excellent  judgment  with  a  cordial  manner,  which 
went  far  toward  smoothing  over  the  rough  path  he 
sometimes  had  to  follow.  His  loyalty  to  me  and  inter 
est  in  my  success  were  equalled  only  by  his  conscien 
tiousness  as  an  officer  and  his  efforts  for  efficiency. 
Everything  pointed  to  Lieutenant-Commander  Mark 
Bristol  as  fleet  ordnance  officer  if  I  could  secure  him  in 
that  capacity.  He  was  on  duty  in  the  Ordnance  De 
partment,  where  he  had  had  long  service,  and  was  at 
the  time  in  charge  of  the  torpedo  branch.  I  succeeded 
eventually  in  having  him  ordered,  and  the  excellent 
work  he  afterwards  did  showed  the  wisdom  of  my 
choice.  Lieutenant  Crosley,  a  young  officer  of  fine  rep 
utation,  was  selected  for  flag  lieutenant,  and  did  excel 
lent  work  until  succeeded  by  Lieutenant  Ridley  Mc 
Lean,  who  had  served  with  me  in  China.  His  fine  work 
on  the  gun  sights  of  the  Kentucky  and  his  general 
knowledge  of  ordnance  rendered  him  a  most  valuable 

318 


Arrival  at  Pensacola 

assistant.  He  afterwards  became  fleet  ordnance  offi 
cer,  and  in  that  capacity  rendered  service  which  in  any 
other  navy  would  have  secured  for  him  promotion  in 
rank.  Two  fine  young  officers,  Lieutenants  Weaver 
and  Crafts,  were  selected — the  former  for  fleet  athletic 
officer  and  the  latter  for  aide  and  signal  officer. 

With  this  staff  of  excellent  assistants,  I  left  Wash 
ington  for  Pensacola,  feeling  sure  that  many  thorns 
would  be  removed  from  my  path  by  their  aid  and  loy 
alty.  The  railroad  trip  to  the  south  was  a  hard,  dusty 
one,  and  we  arrived  at  our  destination  early  in  the 
morning,  tired  and  very  hungry.  We  entered  the  din 
ing-room  of  the  uninviting-looking  tavern  with  happy 
thoughts  of  delicious  tropical  fruits  and  dainty  south 
ern  breakfast  foods.  One  of  the  party  called  the  head 
waiter  and  said  : 

"  What  fruits  have  you?  " 

"  'Tain't  no  fruits !  How  will  you  have  yo'  eggs  ?  " 
was  the  reply,  and  eggs  were  what  we  had  for  break 
fast!  And  those  eggs  must  have  been  laid  by  some 
peculiar  kind  of  a  bird,  judging  by  their  taste.  Even  in 
China  I  never  encountered  any  like  them.  We  were 
also  served  with  a  black  fluid  they  called  coffee,  and  it 
also  was  in  a  class  by  itself.  Our  breakfast  proved  a 
most  disappointing  failure.  We  left  the  hotel,  hoping 
to  find  something  fit  to  eat  on  board  the  flagship,  in 
which  we  were  not  disappointed. 

The  squadron  had  been  engaged  in  evolutions  in  the 
West  Indies  during  the  winter,  and  had  just  arrived  at 
Pensacola  for  target  practice  and  to  give  liberty  to  the 
men.  The  target  range  off  the  port  had  been  estab 
lished,  and  two  ships  were  firing  at  it.  The  other  ships 

319 


An  Admiral's  Log 

of  the  squadron,  six  battleships  and  a  few  cruisers,  were 
anchored  in  the  harbour. 

I  had  selected  the  battleship  Maine  for  my  flagship, 
and  requested  her  captain  to  have  a  boat  at  the  landing 
at  eight  o'clock  to  meet  me  and  take  us,  with  our  bag 
gage,  on  board.  When  we  drove  down  into  the  narrow, 
tumbledown-looking  dock,  I  was  so  shocked  and  dis 
heartened  by  what  I  saw  that  I  felt  as  if  I  must  at  once 
retrace  my  steps  to  Washington  and  tell  the  Secretary 
that  I  did  not  want  the  command  of  the  North  Atlantic 
Squadron!  Two  or  three  hundred  liberty  men  were 
being  taken  off  to  their  ships,  most  of  them  under  the 
influence  of  liquor,  and  many  of  them  howling,  swear 
ing  drunk.  All  the  "  tough  "  class,  men  and  women, 
black  and  white,  for  many  miles  round  Pensacola  had 
assembled  there  to  make  the  bluejackets  enjoy  them 
selves  and  to  secure  the  money  they  knew  would  be 
freely  spent.  There  were  no  places  of  amusement  for 
the  men  to  frequent — nothing,  in  fact,  for  them  to  do; 
so  they  fell  easy  victims  to  the  gang  of  thieves.  Of 
course,  there  were  no  quarters  in  the  town  for  so  many 
disreputable  newcomers,  and  many  of  them  actually 
lived  in  tents  pitched  on  vacant  lots  about  the  lower 
parts  of  the  town.  In  all  my  experience  I  had  never 
seen  anything  to  compare  with  my  first  view  of  the 
men  I  was  about  to  take  under  my  command ! 

Two  perfectly  legitimate  and  proper  influences  had 
combined  to  bring  the  fleet  to  Pensacola,  and  neither 
of  them  was  responsible  for  the  disreputable  condition 
found  existing  on  my  arrival.  The  merchants  and 
tradesmen  knew  how  freely  sailors  spend  their  money, 
and  they  wanted  what  they  could  get  of  it.  The  gen- 

320 


An  Unsatisfactory  Station 

tlemen  and  ladies  of  the  city  wanted  to  entertain  the 
officers  and  to  enjoy  their  society.  Both  classes  were 
actuated  by  motives  which  no  one  could  question,  and 
both  were  thoroughly  disgusted  at  conditions  which 
they  were  apparently  helpless  to  change.  The  trades 
men  were  reasonable  in  the  prices  they  charged  our 
men,  and  I  know  of  my  own  personal  knowledge  that 
the  hospitality  of  the  people  of  the  city  to  our  officers 
was  without  bounds.  I  feel  sure  that  no  officers  of  any 
navy,  under  any  circumstances,  were  ever  more  royally 
entertained  than  were  those  of  the  North  Atlantic 
Squadron  by  the  warm-hearted  people  of  Pensacola. 
Yet,  notwithstanding  all  this,  I  made  up  my  mind  that, 
if  I  could  prevent  it,  the  ships  should  never  anchor  in 
that  harbour  again. 

The  city  was  not  adapted  to  liberty  for  the  kind  of 
men  we  want  in  the  navy — that  is  to  say,  not  for  any 
considerable  number  of  them  at  one  time;  it  could  not 
absorb  them  or  give  them  any  reasonable  pleasure  for 
their  money.  We  might  land  twenty  thousand  men  in 
New  York  city  and  after  two  hours  be  unable  to  find 
a  dozen  of  them,  but  if  we  landed  two  hundred  in  Pen 
sacola  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  them  would  always  be 
in  evidence  one  way  or  another.  In  the  one  case  there 
were  various  and  ample  forms  of  amusement  and  in 
the  other  none.  The  police  of  the  southern  town 
either  were  not  competent  to  deal  with  the  bluejackets 
or  their  own  disreputable  "  toughs,"  and  all  the  better 
class  of  citizens  knew  this  to  be  the  case. 

The  trouble  was  not  due  to  the  people  of  Pensacola, 
who  only  tried  to  get  what  they  thought  they  were  enti 
tled  to,  without  considering  or  foreseeing  the  conditions 

321 


An  Admiral's  Log 

that  would  follow.  The  trouble  really  was  in  the  Navy 
Department,  where  officials  allowed  themselves  to  be 
persuaded  by  senators  and  representatives  into  doing 
what  a  little  thought  would  have  shown  them  would 
lead  to  undesirable  consequences.  The  congressmen 
were  right,  from  their  standpoint,  in  taking  the  action 
they  did  in  behalf  of  their  constituents.  The  Navy  De 
partment  was  absolutely  wrong  in  yielding  to  such 
demands  unless  it  could  be  shown  that  the  service  bene 
fited  by  it;  that  it  was  the  best  that  could  be  done  for 
us.  It  would  have  been  at  once  apparent  to  any  one 
who  gave  the  subject  serious  consideration  that  a  better 
target  range  than  the  one  in  use  off  Pensacola  could  be 
found ;  and  yet  we  continued  to  use  this  one.  Why  did 
we  do  so?  It  must  have  been  for  some  other  reason 
than  for  target  practice.  Was  it  because  the  city  of 
Pensacola  was  a  suitable  place  to  grant  liberty  to  our 
men?  I  think  I  have  shown  that  this  was  not  the 
case.  Was  it  not  that  the  merchants  and  tradesmen  of 
the  city  might  make  a  certain  sum  of  money  out  of  the 
men  of  the  fleet?  And  if  this  was  the  reason  for 
sending  the  ships  there,  why  not  be  honest  about  it  and 
say  so? 

Target  practice  off  Pensacola  was  completed  about 
the  middle  of  April.  The  results  obtained  were  satis 
factory  with  regard  to  rapidity  and  accuracy  of  fire  with 
most  of  the  guns,  but  the  means  used  in  many  cases 
were  lamentably  poor  and  inefficient.  This  was  particu 
larly  the  case  with  the  gun  sights;  they  were  in  the 
same  unsatisfactory  condition  as  those  in  China  in  1903. 
A  careful  inspection  of  the  ships  showed  that  good 
scores  had  been  made  in  some  cases  by  securing  the 

322 


New  Gun  Sights 

sights  with  twine  and  sealing  wax,  so  that  they  could 
not  jump  out  of  adjustment  after  each  shot.  When 
this  was  not  done,  the  sights  jumped  so  badly  that  the 
firing  was  almost  useless  so  far  as  any  practical  benefit 
was  concerned.  Lost  motion  in  the  training  gears  was 
so  great  that  constant  aim  was  impossible.  Everything 
possible  was  done  to  correct  this,  but  a  fault  in  design 
could  not  be  overcome  on  board  ship,  no  matter  how 
clever  the  men  might  be;  the  necessary  tools  and  ma 
terial  were  not  at  hand  for  such  work.  Officers  and 
men  were  enthusiastic  in  their  efforts,  but  they  could 
not  be  expected  to  continue  so  under  such  discouraging 
conditions. 

Lieutenant-Commander  Bristol  set  to  work  at  once 
on  a  new  design  for  gun  sights,  and  when  we  reached 
New  York,  a  few  months  later,  plans  were  ready  for 
approval.  The  chief  of  ordnance,  Rear-Admiral  Mason, 
one  of  my  old  captains  in  China,  and  one  of  the  ablest 
men  who  ever  filled  the  office,  was  fully  alive  to  the 
importance  of  the  work,  but  willingness  is  one  thing 
and  ability  to  do  quite  another.  New  sights  for  ships 
not  yet  completed  could  be  made  in  the  Washington 
Navy  Yard  and  held  in  readiness  for  them,  but  to  fit 
sights  to  all  the  guns  of  eight  battleships  in  commis 
sion  and  have  them  ready  for  the  next  target  practice 
was  quite  a  different  proposition.  I  was  satisfied  from 
my  experience  in  the  East  that  it  could  be  successfully 
done  only  if  proper  methods  were  pursued;  if  a  lot  of 
red  tape  could  be  cut  away.  In  this  my  fleet  ordnance 
officer  concurred.  A  contract  was  entered  into  with 
the  Bliss  Company,  of  Brooklyn,  a  very  reliable  firm, 
who  agreed  to  do  the  work  in  a  certain  time  under  the 

323 


An  Admiral's  Log 

general  direction  and  supervision  of  Lieutenant-Com 
mander  Bristol. 

Government  work  by  contract  is  rarely  completed  on 
time,  because  the  penalty  clause  of  the  contract  is  not 
enforced,  as  a  rule.  It  is  sometimes  done  by  the  head 
of  a  department,  but  the  money  so  held  up  is  always 
paid  eventually.  Congress  discovers  some  good  reason 
for  the  delay,  votes  the  necessary  money,  and  the  con 
tractor  escapes  without  punishment.  The  case  of  our 
gun  sights  was  not  an  exception.  We  did  all  we  could 
to  expedite  the  work,  we  begged  and  pleaded,  even  used 
strong  language,  but  to  no  purpose.  When  we  sailed 
for  the  West  Indies  in  November,  only  a  portion  of  the 
guns  had  the  new  sights  furnished ;  most  of  them  were 
in  a  partially  completed  condition.  We  took  to  sea 
with  us  thirty  men  from  the  contractor's  shops,  who 
worked  night  and  day,  assisted  by  the  well-trained  me 
chanics  of  the  ships.  Just  one  week  before  the  squad 
ron  went  onto  the  target  range  the  last  of  the  sights 
was  tested  and  found  right.  The  work  done  by  the 
fleet  ordnance  officer  during  all  this  time  was  enough  to 
break  down  half  a  dozen  ordinary  men,  but  fortunately 
he  was  not  one  of  the  breaking-down  kind. 

The  torpedo  boats  and  destroyers  I  found  in  unsat 
isfactory  condition.  This  was  particularly  the  case 
with  the  flotilla  of  destroyers  attached  to  the  squadron. 
Officers  and  men  were  discouraged  because  they  were 
not  allowed  to  perform  their  proper  functions  as  de 
stroyers.  They  had  been  used  as  despatch  and  mail 
boats  to  carry  messages  or  mails  to  and  from  the  fleet 
and  convey  soiled  linen  to  and  from  the  laundries,  but 
their  work  as  torpedo-boat  destroyers  had  been  sadly 

324 


Departure  from  Pensacola 

neglected.  Their  contract  speed  was  from  twenty-five 
to  thirty  knots,  and  they  were  kept  cruising  at  about 
ten,  so  that  no  one  knew  just  how  fast  they  could  steam 
or  whether  their  engine-room  forces  were  efficient  or 
otherwise.  As  soon  as  I  could  take  the  matter  up,  I 
ordered  the  mail  and  laundry  business  to  stop,  laid  out 
torpedo  targets,  and  started  the  boats  on  a  course  of 
real  torpedo  work.  While  convinced  that  they  never 
could  in  time  of  war  do  the  wonderful  things  that  had 
been  promised  for  them,  I  was  satisfied  that  conveying 
mail  and  washed  clothes  was  not  the  way  to  develop 
what  they  really  could  do. 

The  festivities  of  Pensacola  closed  early  in  May, 
and  the  squadron  sailed  for  the  north.  It  was  the  last 
time  we  were  to  try  target  practice  in  that  locality.  I 
was  soundly  abused  by  the  people  and  press  of  the  city 
for  the  change  that  came,  but,  feeling  that  I  was  doing 
the  best  for  the  service,  I  submitted  to  it  in  silence.  I 
had  received  the  greatest  courtesy  and  kindness  from 
the  good  people  of  Pensacola,  and  had  for  them  only 
sentiments  of  friendship,  but  I  did  not  consider  their 
locality  a  good  one  for  target  practice  nor  their  city  a 
suitable  place  to  give  liberty  to  a  large  number  of  en 
listed  men,  and  I  acted  in  accordance  with  those  convic 
tions. 

The  eight  battleships  composing  the  squadron  passed 
out  over  the  bar  without  grounding,  though  some  of 
them  stirred  up  the  mud.  When  every  one  was  ready 
I  formed  them  in  column  three  hundred  yards  apart 
and  started  north  at  a  speed  of  twelve  knots.  The 
usual  distance  from  ship  to  ship — that  is,  from  the  fore 
mast  of  one  ship  to  the  foremast  of  the  next  astern — in 
23  325 


An  Admiral's  Log 

cruising  formation  is  four  hundred  yards,  but  I  made  it 
three  hundred  because  we  had  been  a  long  time  at  an 
chor,  and  both  officers  and  men  had  grown  a  bit  care 
less.  At  three  hundred  yards  the  squadron  was  com 
pact,  and  with  my  glasses  I  could  see  what  was  being 
done  on  each  ship.  At  first  I  could  tell  that  the  officers 
were  somewhat  nervous,  from  the  way  the  ships  yawed 
about,  but  this  passed  away  in  a  few  days.  The  squad 
ron  had  been  commanded  by  very  able  flag  officers,  and 
the  nervousness  I  speak  of  was  on  the  part  of  officers 
who  were,  either  as  captains  or  junior  officers,  in 
charge  of  a  battleship  for  the  first  time  in  fleet  forma 
tion.  A  pleasant  run  of  six  days,  most  of  the  time  in 
the  Gulf  Stream,  brought  us  to  our  destination.  The 
ships  were  at  once  distributed  to  the  navy  yards  where 
they  were  to  be  overhauled  and  made  ready  for  the 
extended  drills  which  were  to  take  place  in  the  late  sum 
mer  and  autumn.  The  War  College  at  Newport  had 
submitted  certain  plans  to  the  board,  which  in  turn  sent 
them  on  to  me  for  trial.  Of  these,  for  obvious  reasons, 
I  cannot  write. 

The  Navy  Department  was  anxious  to  have  fleet 
drills  instead  of  the  squadron  evolutions  which  had 
been  the  custom  in  our  service.  I  gave  my  attention  to 
the  necessary  regulations  for  this,  as  well  as  the  pro 
gramme  of  work  to  be  followed.  For  fleet  work  one 
must  have  a  fleet  of  ships,  and  this  was  promised  as 
soon  as  the  vessels  should  be  available.  Those  I  had 
were  in  need  of  repairs,  and  work  on  them  was  ordered 
at  once. 

The  question  of  annual  repairs  to  ships  on  the  home 
station  is  a  most  serious  and  puzzling  one.  On  foreign 

326 


Question  of  Ship  Repairs 

stations  it  is  simple  and  easily  solved.  All  ships  on 
these  stations  are  supposed  to  be  self-supporting,  and 
they  are  so  to  a  great  extent;  their  own  mechanics  are 
able  to  do  most  of  the  work.  If  beyond  them,  it  is  well 
and  cheaply  done  by  contract.  The  commander-in-chief 
of  the  home  station  is  constantly  urged  by  the  Depart 
ment  to  make  his  ships  self-sustaining;  it  is  a  favourite 
term,  often  employed.  The  bureau  chiefs,  on  the  other 
hand,  do  not  wish  him  to  do  this,  but  never  say  so 
plainly.  They  hold  that  unless  the  ships  are  sent  to  the 
yards  for  repairs  every  year  they  cannot  have  an  effi 
cient  working  force  when  called  upon,  and  they  cer 
tainly  have  reasons  on  their  side  of  the  argument.  If 
the  commander-in-chief  does  what  he  is  officially  di 
rected  to  do,  the  navy  yards  run  down  in  efficiency  and 
are  not  in  condition  to  do  good,  quick  work  when  an 
emergency  arises.  If  the  repair  work  could  be  done  at 
the  yards  where  the  ships  were  built,  it  would  seem  to 
do  away  with  this  difficulty,  but  then  we  should  run 
the  risk  of  having  the  shipyards  combine  and  charge 
unreasonable  prices  for  the  work.  This  may  seem,  at 
first  glance,  a  reflection  on  the  shipbuilders,  but  it  is 
not  really  so ;  it  is  only  a  reflection  on  business  methods. 
If  all  the  armour  plants  in  the  country  can  submit  the 
same  figures,  the  same  bid  to  a  cent,  in  reply  to  adver 
tisements  for  armour,  why  could  not  shipbuilders  do  the 
same  for  repairs?  The  guessing  could  be  done  the 
same  in  one  case  as  well  as  in  the  other. 

So  the  commander-in-chief  must  do  the  repairs  to 
the  fleet  with  his  own  force,  and  at  the  same  time  have 
work  enough  for  the  navy  yards  at  least  once  in  each 
year.  His  lot  in  this  respect  is  not  a  happy  one.  The 

327 


An  Admiral's  Log 

whole  question  is  a  complicated  one,  not  easy  of  solu 
tion.  We  much  prefer  to  do  the  repair  work  with  our 
own  men  on  board  ship  when  it  can  be  done,  for  the 
reason  that  it  is  more  satisfactorily  done  in  this  way. 
Long  experience  has  taught  us  that  men  who  have  to 
use  machines,  who  live  with  them,  in  fact,  are  more 
careful  and  accurate  in  repairing  them  than  those  who 
never  work  with  them.  I  could  cite  many  cases  to 
prove  this — cases  where  lives  of  men  have  been  placed 
in  jeopardy  by  some  careless  navy-yard  workmen,  but 
the  yards  must  be  ready  in  cases  of  emergency,  and  to 
have  them  so  the  men  must  have  steady  employment  of 
some  kind. 

Eight  battleships  and  six  destroyers  were  ready  for 
sea  at  the  end  of  November,  and  I  sailed  with  them  for 
the  West  Indies,  where  I  was  to  remain  during  the 
winter  months.  To  test  the  sea  endurance  of  the  de 
stroyers,  I  kept  them  with  the  fleet  for  the  run  of  sev 
enteen  hundred  miles.  The  weather  for  the  first  two 
days  was  very  fine  and  the  sea  smooth;  then  the  wind 
shifted  into  the  south-west  and  blew  hard  enough  to 
kick  up  quite  a  rough  sea,  causing  the  destroyers  to  roll 
and  pitch  and  take  the  water  over  them  in  solid  masses. 
The  battleships  were,  of  course,  entirely  comfortable 
under  such  conditions,  but  the  destroyers  thrashed 
about  until  all  the  new  men  of  their  crews  were  use 
less  because  of  seasickness.  To  make  matters  better 
for  them,  I  ordered  the  destroyers  to  take  station  under 
the  lea  of  the  big  ships  and  steam  along  close  to  them, 
and  thus  made  better  weather  of  it.  When  we  finally 
arrived  at  our  destination  all  of  them  were  in  fairly 
good  condition,  except  one,  and  her  troubles  were  di- 

328 


At  Culebra 

rectly  due  to  careless  work  at  the  navy  yards  where  she 
had  been  repaired.  While  the  boats  were  ready  for 
service  after  their  shaking  up,  the  officers  and  men 
were  ready  for  a  good  long  rest.  They  were  worn  out 
with  the  discomforts  of  the  trip,  and  in  many  cases 
unfit  for  duty.  This  will  always,  be  the  result,  in  my 
judgment,  of  a  cruise  of  any  considerable  length  in 
these  small  vessels.  In  time  of  war  the  excitement  and 
danger  of  the  service  will  keep  officers  and  men  keyed 
up,  but  in  times  of  peace  they  will  not  stand  much  cruis 
ing  in  rough  water.  If  they  are  to  keep  company  with 
the  fleet,  they  must  be  larger,  stronger,  and  more  com 
fortable  for  their  crews  than  those  we  now  have.  A 
vessel  of  one  thousand  tons  displacement  seems  to  me 
to  be  about  what  we  need. 

Our  first  anchorage  was  in  Target  Bay,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  island  of  Culebra,  one  of  a  group  we  ac 
quired  as  a  result  of  the  Spanish  War.  It  is  only 
eighteen  miles  from  the  Danish  island  of  St.  Thomas, 
which  we  have  so  often  tried  to  purchase  because  of  its 
supposed  value  as  a  naval  base.  The  position  of  Cule 
bra  is  such  that  it  could  be  made  to  command  one  of 
the  direct  passages  from  the  north  through  the  West 
Indies  to  the  Caribbean  Sea  and  the  north  coast  of 
Central  America.  As  a  naval  base  in  time  of  war  it 
would  be  of  great  practical  value  if  properly  fortified 
and  provisioned,  but,  owing  to  one  cause  and  another, 
nothing  has  ever  been  done  there  except  to  mount  a 
few  small  guns  and  accumulate  coal  enough  for  the 
gunboats  on  patrol  duty  in  the  West  Indies.  In  its 
present  condition,  if  war  should  come  suddenly — and 
in  future  it  seems  probable  that  wars  will  come  in  that 

329 


An  Admiral's  Log 

way — this  island  would  cause  us  great  anxiety,  because 
a  superior  naval  force  could,  and  would,  seize  it  and 
make  it  their  base  of  supplies  for  operations  in  the 
West  Indies. 

As  a  point  from  which  to  operate  cruisers,  torpedo 
boats,  and  submarines,  Culebra  has  advantages  over 
any  other  I  know  of.  There  is  a  landlocked  harbour  in 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  island  large  enough  to  con 
tain  half  a  dozen  cruisers  and  all  the  submarines  and 
torpedo  boats  in  the  navy.  So  perfectly  protected  is 
this  harbour  that  the  vessels  in  it  would  be  safe 
even  in  the  most  violent  hurricane.  The  channel 
is  a  safe  one,  and  from  the  entrance  to  the  harbour 
there  are  three  safe  channels  through  the  reefs  to  the 
sea,  which  render  a  blockade  most  difficult.  By  dredg 
ing  a  short  distance  another  channel  could  be  made  con 
necting  the  harbour  with  Target  Bay,  which  would  ren 
der  a  blockade  practically  impossible.  A  station  ship  is 
maintained  in  the  inner  harbour  for  the  handful  of  offi 
cers  and  men  required  to  look  after  the  coal  and  other 
government  property.  Rain  water  is  caught  and  stored 
in  reservoirs  for  the  needs  of  the  two  or  three  hundred 
Spanish  fishermen  and  their  families  who  inhabit  the 
island.  They  fish  and  raise  a  few  vegetables,  among 
them  melons  of  very  fine  quality.  They  are  governed 
by  a  chief,  appointed  by  the  government  of  Porto  Rico, 
who  depends  on  the  naval  authorities  to  keep  his  flock 
in  order  and  prevent  smuggling.  Their  physical  ail 
ments  are  looked  after  by  a  naval  surgeon  with  a  staff 
of  hospital  attendants. 

With  Culebra  as  our  headquarters,  we  spent  a 
month  of  hard,  steady  work.  I  was  fortunate  in  having 

330 


Christmas  in  the  West  Indies 

as  my  second  in  command  Rear-Admiral  C.  H.  Davis, 
who,  in  addition  to  being  one  of  the  ablest  tacticians  in 
the  navy,  had  a  most  attractive  personality,  which  made 
duty  with  him  a  pleasure.  As  many  of  the  captains 
and  most  of  the  junior  officers  had  never  had  any  fleet 
work,  we  had  to  begin  at  the  very  rudiments  with  them, 
teach  them  the  multiplication  table,  so  to  speak,  before 
we  ventured  into  the  algebra  of  the  profession.  Every 
morning  the  two  divisions  of  four  ships  each  got  under 
way,  and  all  day  long  they  drilled  and  manoeuvred  in 
the  adjacent  waters,  which  were  well  adapted  to  the 
purpose.  In  the  evening  they  would  anchor  in  Target 
Bay,  or  during  the  night  exercise  with  search  lights. 
At  the  end  of  two  weeks  the  divisions  were  united  and 
drilled  as  a  fleet.  In  this  way  much  valuable  experience 
was  gained.  Saturdays  and  Sundays  we  remained  at 
anchor,  and  as  much  time  as  possible  was  given  to 
swimming  and  athletic  exercises.  The  destroyers  were 
given  steady  work  with  torpedoes  night  and  day.  They 
were  also  required  to  develop  the  possibilities  of  the 
various  channels,  so  that  they  might  be  able  to  use  them 
in  case  of  necessity. 

As  Christmas  time  approached,  I  divided  the  squad 
ron  and  sent  the  ships  to  various  ports  in  the  West 
Indies  to  give  shore  leave  to  the  crews.  The  ports  of 
St.  Thomas,  St.  Kitts,  Barbadoes,  and  Trinidad  were 
chosen  as  best  for  the  purpose.  Nearly  half  of  our  men 
were  recruits  who  had  never  been  out  of  the  United 
States,  many  of  them  lads  from  the  farms  of  the  middle 
West,  and  to  them  the  opportunity  of  seeing  a  foreign 
port  was  pleasing.  They  thoroughly  enjoyed  their 
Christmas  holiday,  as  did  those  who  benefited  by  the 

331 


An  Admiral's  Log 

large  sums  of  money  the  bluejackets  spent.  The  Maine, 
my  flagship,  went  to  Trinidad,  where  the  hospitable 
people  received  us  most  cordially  and  made  us  welcome. 
I  ate  my  Christmas  dinner  with  Governor  Jackson  and 
his  charming  family. 

Immediately  after  Christmas  the  ships  assembled 
at  Guantanamo,  our  naval  station  on  the  south-east  side 
of  Cuba.  After  the  close  of  the  Spanish  War  the 
United  States  had  acquired  this  station,  which  was  re 
garded  as  of  vital  importance  to  our  interest  in  the 
south  Atlantic.  The  Navy  Department  had  made  a 
careful  survey  of  the  site,  and  with  a  small  appropria 
tion  from  Congress  began  the  construction  of  a  dry 
dock  and  the  erection  of  a  coaling  plant.  A  few  small 
frame  houses  had  been  built  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  officers  on  duty  there,  and  tents  put  up  for  the 
marines  who  guarded  the  property.  The  water  supply 
was  totally  inadequate,  though  there  was  a  fine  river 
running  through  the  country  only  a  few  miles  away. 
Sixty  thousand  dollars  would  have  given  us  an  ample 
supply  of  excellent  water,  but  the  money  was  not  avail 
able.  Every  drop  of  fresh  water  for  the  station  came 
from  Caimoneira,  ten  or  twelve  miles  distant,  in  water 
cars,  and  was  then  pumped  into  a  water  boat,  which 
was  towed  six  miles  before  it  could  be  distributed  for 
consumption ! 

A  fine,  first-class  wireless  telegraph  station  had  been 
installed  by  the  Navy  Department,  which  kept  up  com 
munication  with  the  world  through  the  station  at  Key 
West.  At  night  messages  came  to  us  regularly  and 
with  fair  accuracy,  but  in  the  daytime  this  station,  like 
most  other  wireless  outfits,  refused  to  work,  giving  al- 

332 


Small-Arm  Target  Practice 

ways  as  an  excuse  the  incomprehensible  word  static, 
which  in  wireless  experience  covers  a  multitude  of  sins. 
As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  discover,  the  word  means 
an  atmospheric  condition  in  which  Hertzian  waves  re 
fuse  duty  and  no  messages  can  be  sent  through.  This 
condition  exists  always  in  the  daytime,  but  rarely  at 
night.  This  station  also  was  sorely  perplexed  by  the 
question  of  water  supply. 

The  Ordnance  Bureau  of  the  Navy  Department  had 
installed  at  Guantanamo  the  finest  small-arm  target 
range  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world.  It  may  be 
justly  said,  I  think,  that  the  use  of  this  range  enabled 
the  men  of  the  navy  to  outshoot  all  competitors  and 
twice  win  from  the  army,  the  marines,  and  the  militia 
the  national  trophy.  It  was  here  that  they  received  the 
training  which  placed  them  in  such  an  enviable  position 
among  the  crack  shots  of  the  world.  To  their  credit 
be  it  remembered  that  on  the  cruise  of  the  Atlantic 
Fleet  the  bluejackets  won  from  the  best  teams  in  Aus 
tralia  and  Japan. 

One  object  of  our  visit  to  Guantanamo  was  to  use 
this  range  to  its  utmost  capacity.  All  day  long,  from 
sunrise  to  sunset,  despite  the  mosquitoes,  the  gnats,  and 
the  blazing  sun,  hundreds  of  men  were  on  the  ranges. 
The  reports  of  the  Krag-Jorgensens  were  incessant,  re 
minding  one  of  a  battle.  As  soon  as  our  anchors  were 
down  all  the  marines  of  the  fleet  were  landed  and 
camped  under  canvas  in  order  that  they  might  have 
real  training  as  soldiers,  without  wasting  their  time 
with  the  petty  duties  which  seemed  to  occupy  all  their 
time  on  board  ship,  and  which  during  their  absence  were 
easily  done  by  a  small  detail  of  bluejackets.  The  tar- 

333 


An  Admiral's  Log 

gets  were  turned  over  to  the  marines  for  a  stated 
time  each  day.  After  their  firing  was  completed,  they 
"  hiked  "  over  the  country  and  did  other  things  that 
soldiers  are  expected  to  do  to  produce  the  conditions  of 
efficiency  which  render  them  of  value  in  times  of  war. 
I  have  never  seen  more  marked  improvement  in  a  body 
of  men  than  I  observed  in  this  case.  It  was  the  story  of 
the  marines  at  Subig  Bay  over  again. 

The  bluejackets  were  sent  to  the  targets  every  day, 
Saturdays  and  Sundays  excepted,  until  each  one  had 
qualified  on  the  different  ranges.  Then  teams  were 
selected  from  each  ship,  and  these,  after  long  practice, 
shot  for  the  championship  of  the  squadron.  The  bat 
tleship  Missouri  won  after  a  spirited  contest.  In  the 
meantime  the  boat  guns  were  used  on  targets  in  the  har 
bour,  and  afterwards,  fitted  as  field  pieces  for  land  serv 
ice,  taken  on  shore  and  over  a  fine  range  did  excellent 
work  on  the  targets.  In  this  way  we  gave  the  men  the 
finest  training  it  was  possible  for  them  to  have.  But  to 
do  all  this  work  it  was  necessary  to  give  some  time  to 
play  and  recreation ;  otherwise  all  hands  would  be  worn 
out  and  become  discontented.  At  a  fixed  hour  every 
day  work  stopped.  The  men  were  then  landed  on  the 
beach  to  swim,  play  baseball  or  football,  and  generally, 
in  sea  parlance,  "  stretch  their  legs."  A  racing  crew 
from  each  ship  was  always  in  training,  and  races  under 
sail,  as  well  as  pulling  races,  were  a  regular  part  of  the 
exercise  of  the  squadron.  While  all  these  sports  re 
quired  the  hardest  kind  of  physical  effort,  they  were  not 
regarded  by  the  men  as  work,  and  they  took  great  pleas 
ure  in  them.  The  result  of  all  our  efforts  was  a  fine, 
happy,  contented  lot  of  men,  who  reflected  great  credit 

334 


Seeking  A  New  Target  Range 

on  their  officers  and  were  ready  at  a  moment's  notice 
for  any  service  they  might  be  called  upon  to  perform. 

The  destroyers  were  confined  to  their  proper  work. 
Drills  were  constant  day  and  night  until  they  could  use 
their  weapons  with  a  fair  degree  of  accuracy.  Their 
crews  had  athletic  contests  among  themselves;  some 
of  them  even  aspired  to  the  battleship  class,  where  they 
acquitted  themselves  with  credit.  Particularly  was  this 
the  case  in  boat  racing.  The  destroyers  did  not  at  that 
time  carry  power  boats,  and  as  a  result  developed  many 
good  boat  sailors  and  oarsmen. 

The  question  of  a  range  for  target  practice  with  the 
big  guns  was  a  most  important  one,  and  one  that  must 
soon  be  settled.  Those  in  authority  at  home  had  de 
cided  to  leave  this  to  me,  thus  relieving  themselves  of 
the  annoyance  of  having  to  answer  the  questions  of 
politicians  acting  in  the  interest  of  their  constituents, 
who  wanted  the  ships  sent  to  this  place  or  that.  All 
they  had  to  say  in  such  case  was  that  the  matter  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  commander-in-chief,  that  they  did  not 
know  where  he  proposed  to  hold  the  practice,  which 
was  literally  true,  because  I  had  not  informed  them  of 
the  locality!  I  was  too  far  away  to  be  reached  by  the 
politicians,  so  their  constituents  amused  themselves  by 
abusing  me  in  the  newspapers,  which  seemed  to  satisfy 
them  and  did  not  worry  me  in  the  least. 

I  took  advantage  of  the  first  Saturday  after  our  ar 
rival  at  Guantanamo  to  look  for  our  new  target  range. 
In  company  with  the  chief  of  staff  and  the  fleet  ord 
nance  officer,  I  embarked  on  the  tender  Yankton  and 
ran  down  to  Cape  Cruz,  on  the  south  side  of  Cuba, 
where  we  remained  over  Sunday.  To  the  westward  of 

335 


An  Admiral's  Log 

Cape  Cruz,  under  the  lea  of  the  shoals  making  out  off 
Manzanillo,  we  found  what  we  were  seeking,  viz. :  a 
large  body  of  smooth  water  of  such  depth  that  ships 
could  be  conveniently  anchored  and  targets  moored. 
The  spot  selected  was  ideal  for  our  purpose.  The  coral 
reefs  to  windward  ensured  smooth  water,  except  when 
the  wind  came  from  the  south-west,  which  it  rarely  did 
during  the  winter  season.  The  prevailing  winds  were 
from  the  north  and  north-east.  The  shipping  entering 
Manzanillo  passed  at  a  distance  of  twenty  or  twenty-five 
miles  either  to  the  east  or  the  west,  and  interruption 
from  this  cause  was  unlikely.  A  few  fishing  boats  took 
fish  on  the  inside  of  the  reef,  and  were  entirely  safe 
from  our  guns. 

The  surveys  of  this  part  of  the  West  Indies  were 
Spanish,  and  very  unreliable.  To  ensure  the  safety  of 
the  fleet  I  selected  and  marked  roughly  with  buoys  the 
area  we  would  use,  and  the  Yankton  then  ran  lines  of 
soundings  to  detect  shoal  water,  if  any  existed.  When 
this  had  been  thoroughly  done,  we  returned  to  Guanta- 
namo  and  made  all  necessary  preparations  for  our  rec 
ord  target  practice. 

Colliers  were  loaded  with  coal  and  sent  to  the  an 
chorage  selected  for  them  inside  the  reef.  The  store- 
ship,  with  fresh  provisions,  and  the  water-ship  for  the 
destroyers  were  also  sent,  and  the  squadron  followed, 
spending  a  few  days  en  route  at  tactical  drills.  In  the 
meantime  a  collier  had  been  sent  to  Pensacola  for  the 
targets,  and  when  she  arrived  they  were  soon  in  place 
and  practice  began.  For  three  weeks  the  firing  was 
constant.  When  it  was  completed  the  improvement  was 
so  marked  that  we  were  sure  we  had  won  the  trophy, 

336 


An  Excellent  Range 

but  in  this  we  were  mistaken.  We  were  disappointed 
at  not  winning  the  coveted  prize,  but  determined  to 
have  it  the  following  year,  if  hard  work  could  make 
it  come  our  way. 

When  time  permitted  I  examined  the  water  inside 
the  reef,  and  succeeded  in  finding  an  admirable  place 
for  the  small  ships  and  torpedo  craft  to  do  their  work. 
The  spot  selected  was  close  to  the  coral  island  known 
as  Media  Luna  Cayo  (Half  Moon  Key),  so  named  from 
its  crescent  shape.  Here  the  crews  were  perfectly  com 
fortable  because  of  the  smooth  water,  and  when  not  at 
work  could  catch  plenty  of  fish  and  large  lizards  to  re 
plenish  their  larders.  When  a  careful  survey  had  been 
completed,  it  was  found  that  any  ship  in  the  squadron 
could  enter  between  the  reefs  and  use  this  target  range 
with  safety. 

Of  all  the  ranges  I  have  ever  used,  that  to  the  west 
of  Cape  Cruz  was  the  most  satisfactory.  There  was 
nothing  in  sight  to  attract  either  officers  or  men  from 
their  work  at  the  guns.  The  only  town  or  city  any 
where  near  us  was  Manzanillo,  which  was  thirty-five 
miles  away,  and  with  which  we  had  no  communication. 
From  our  firing  stations  there  was  nothing  in  sight  but 
water.  Here  and  there  the  mangroves  on  the  coral 
reefs  showed  green  in  the  distance,  but  otherwise  we 
were  practically  at  sea.  When  time  permitted,  those  so 
disposed  could  find  fairly  good  fishing,  but  as  a  rule 
little  time  was  given  to  this  sport,  as  both  officers  and 
men  were  tired  enough  with  their  work  to  sleep  during 
any  leisure  moments. 

It  was  while  anchored  in  this  vicinity,  at  a  later 
date,  that  we  heard  of  the  disaster  at  San  Francisco. 

337 


An  Admiral's  Log 

My  orderly  awoke  me  in  the  middle  of  the  night  to 
hand  me  a  message  just  picked  up  by  the  wireless  oper 
ator  on  duty  on  board  the  flagship.  It  read :  "  Bad 
earthquake  in  San  Francisco;  city  destroyed  by  fire." 
As  we  were  a  thousand  miles  from  the  nearest  wireless 
station,  and  because  of  the  improbable  character  of  the 
news  received,  I  requested  the  wireless  operator  not  to 
disturb  me  again  unless  there  might  be  some  confirma 
tion  of  the  message.  These  operators  were  always  pick 
ing  up  wonderful  pieces  of  news  which  drifted  about  in 
the  air !  A  few  hours  later  despatches  came  giving  full 
details  of  the  awful  destruction  inside  the  Golden  Gate. 
The  boundaries  of  the  naval  reservation  at  Guanta- 
namo  had  been  very  carefully  marked  by  the  Navy  De 
partment — first  by  a  path  cut  through  the  jungle,  and 
then  by  a  substantial  wire  fence.  In  the  vicinity  of  the 
proposed  dry  dock  and  marine  barracks  a  stone  wall 
about  seven  feet  high  had  been  constructed  to  prevent 
the  natives  from  smuggling  rum  into  the  reservation 
and  carrying  away  anything  they  could  lay  their  hands 
on.  We  had  more  trouble  on  the  small-arms  target 
range  from  smuggled  rum  than  from  all  other  causes 
combined.  The  miserable  natives  managed  to  land  it 
from  boats  at  night,  secrete  it  in  the  jungle,  and  from 
there  serve  it  out  to  our  men,  who  were  invariably  made 
crazy,  fighting  drunk  by  the  vile  stuff.  After  two  days' 
search  we  found  the  "  cache  "  and  destroyed  its  con 
tents,  consisting  of  about  thirty  gallons  of  newly  made 
rum.  I  gave  notice  that  I  would  also  destroy  those 
who  owned  it  if  I  could  lay  my  hands  on  them.  If  we 
could  have  had  a  canteen  where  the  men  could  get  beer 
and  light  wines,  under  proper  restrictions,  all  this 

338 


The  Guantanamo  Reservation 

trouble  would  have  been  spared  us.  A  wise  Congress 
had,  however,  decreed  that  we  should  not  have  a  can 
teen,  and  in  consequence  we  had  to  struggle  with  a 
much  greater  evil. 

One  look  at  the  reservation  as  laid  out  clearly  indi 
cated  that  we  had  not  taken  ground  enough.  The  reser 
vation  was  too  small  for  the  purpose  intended.  To  the 
eastward  and  well  within  the  range  of  a  ten-inch  gun 
rises  a  sharp  mountain  peak,  which  we  designated  as 
"  203  Metre  Hill  "  because  of  its  commanding  position ; 
203  Metre  Hill,  it  will  be  recalled,  completely  domi 
nated  the  defences  of  Port  Arthur  and  caused  the  sur 
render  of  that  fortress  when  the  Japanese  had  succeeded 
in  mounting  a  few  guns  thereon.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
an  enemy  could  land  guns  at  the  base  of  this  mountain, 
and  in  a  short  time  put  them  in  a  position  from  which 
they  could  destroy  everything  of  value  on  the  reserva 
tion.  That  the  Navy  Department  and  the  general  board 
might  be  fully  advised  of  the  situation,  I  organised  a 
board  of  able  officers,  with  Rear- Admiral  Davis  at  its 
head,  to  report  what  should  be  done  in  the  matter.  This 
board  went  over  the  ground,  climbed  the  mountains, 
surveyed  the  sources  of  water  supply,  and  made  an  ex 
haustive  report,  pointing  out  the  necessity  for  extending 
the  boundaries  of  the  concession  to  include  the  high 
point  necessary  to  its  proper  defence  in  time  of  war. 
This  report  was  duly  forwarded,  and  that  was  the  last 
we  ever  heard  of  it.  The  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  came  down  later,  looked  the  ground  over,  and 
approved  of  what  had  been  done.  Later  still  a  com 
mittee  of  senators  came.  After  spending  one  hour  in, 
the  bay,  they  sailed  for  Jamaica,  deciding  that  no  more 

339 


An  Admiral's  Log 

money  should  be  spent  on  Guantanamo,  and  so  the  mat 
ter  stands  to-day.  We  cannot  do  the  work  without 
money,  and  Congress  will  not  appropriate  any. 

If  we  had  acquired  one  naval  station  in  the  West 
Indies,  instead  of  two,  it  might  have  been  better  for  us. 
Congress  might  have  been  induced  to  give  the  neces 
sary  money  for  one  station,  which  it  has  failed  to  do  for 
two.  Some  officers  argue  that  they  woufd  not  have 
voted  money  even  for  one,  and  cite  the  case  of  Manila 
Bay  or  Olongapo  to  prove  their  contention,  but  it  must 
always  be  remembered  that  Olongapo  is  a  long  way 
from  our  coast,  while  Guantanamo  and  Culebra  are 
practically  in  our  back  yard. 

It  must  be  regarded  as  unfortunate  that  a  difference 
of  opinion  developed  among  officers  of  the  navy  in  the 
years  following  the  close  of  the  Spanish  War  in  regard 
to  the  value  of  the  two  places,  Culebra  and  Guanta 
namo,  as  sites  for  a  large  naval  station.  Some  held  that 
Culebra  should  be  developed  as  our  main  station,  while 
others  declared  in  favour  of  Guantanamo,  with  Culebra 
as  an  advanced  base  only.  This  action,  or  opinion,  nat 
urally  had  its  effect  on  Congress,  whose  members 
sought  information  from  naval  sources.  As  a  result 
we  have  no  station  worthy  the  name  in  the  West  Indies. 
A  war  scare  over  our  relations  with  Japan  may  cause 
us  to  complete  a  station  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of 
Manila,  and  likewise  such  a  scare  over  our  relations 
with  some  European  nation,  or  the  threat  of  some  for 
eign  nation  to  disregard  what  we  please  to  term  the 
Monroe  Doctrine,  may  lead  to  the  same  desirable  results 
at  Guantanamo.  As  the  Panama  Canal  approaches 
completion,  this  question  of  a  strong  station  somewhere 

340 


Culebra  and  Guantanamo 

on  the  Caribbean  Sea  will  force  itself  on  Congress  more 
strongly  than  ever,  and  a  solution  may  be  reached. 

At  present  it  can  be  truthfully  said  that  Guantanamo 
is  of  vast  importance  to  us  as  a  training  station,  a  posi 
tion  from  which,  as  a  safe  anchorage,  our  rapidly  grow 
ing  fleet  may  manoeuvre  and  drill  with  the  greatest 
possible  advantage.  Owing  to  its  climate  during  the  win 
ter  months  and  its  excellent  small-arms  target  range,  it 
is  far  ahead  of  any  place  on  our  own  coast.  It  is  better 
even  than  any  other  place  we  could  select  if  we  were 
given  our  choice  in  the  matter.  Aside  from  its  advan 
tages  as  a  drill  ground  for  the  fleet,  it  has  great  value 
as  long  as  we  keep  up  our  present  policy  of  patrolling 
the  waters  of  Hayti  and  San  Domingo  and  looking 
after  the  custom-houses  of  the  last-named  breeder  of 
revolutions.  Culebra  is  also  of  great  value  in  this  con 
nection,  owing  to  its  geographical  position.  It  would 
seem,  therefore,  that  we  should  hold  both  places,  but  to 
make  it  possible  to  do  so  in  time  of  war  we  should 
provide  for  their  defence. 

Culebra  has  a  few  small  guns  in  position;  not 
enough,  however,  to  be  of  any  value.  At  Guantanamo 
the  army  engineers  have  selected  sites  for  mortar  bat 
teries  and  twelve-inch  guns,  and  have  finished  two  bat 
teries  for  the  defence  of  the  mine  fields.  One  of  these 
has  six-inch  guns,  and  the  other  small,  rapid  firers. 
Congress  has  refused  to  appropriate  more  money,  and 
in  consequence  all  work  must  stop. 


23 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

THE   SUMMER    WORK   OF   THE   NORTH    ATLANTIC 
SQUADRON 

OUR  winter's  work  having  been  completed,  the 
squadron  returned  to  Hampton  Roads  in  May.  In  ad 
dition  to  the  work  done  with  the  guns,  a  great  amount 
of  tactical  exercise  had  been  accomplished,  with  the 
gratifying  result  that  most  of  the  captains  and  many 
of  the  junior  officers  could  maintain  position  and  per 
form  simple  evolutions  with  accuracy.  We  were  learn 
ing  our  multiplication  table  thoroughly  before  attempt 
ing  higher  work. 

Once  back  in  a  home  port,  all  the  officers  who  had 
served  their  time  at  sea  were  detached,  and  others  with 
out  fleet  experience  were  ordered  in  their  places.  This 
was  the  case  with  captains  as  well  as  juniors.  When 
ready  to  go  to  sea,  the  commander-in-chief  found  him 
self  compelled  to  begin  again  at  the  beginning  so  far  as 
drills  were  concerned.  The  officers  who  left  had  ac 
quired  valuable  knowledge,  but  they  took  it  ashore  with 
them,  and  it  was  necessary  to  teach  the  new  ones,  just 
as  the  others  had  been  taught.  This  condition  is  dis 
couraging,  this  constant  going  over  and  over  the  sim 
plest  forms  of  fleet  drill,  but  it  will  disappear  in  a  few 
years,  when  the  body  of  our  officers  has  had  sufficient 
service  in  the  fleet. 

342 


Discouraging  Work 

While  this  condition  for  officers  is  in  sight,  the  same 
cannot  be  said  for  the  men.  Officers  of  other  navies  are 
surprised  at  what  we  accomplish  with  our  crews  when 
informed  of  the  way  they  are  supplied  to  us.  To  ex 
plain  this,  let  me  cite  a  case,  say  of  an  English  battle 
ship  about  to  be  placed  in  commission  for  service.  When 
reported  ready  by  the  dock-yard  officials,  her  crew  is 
marched  on  board,  complete  in  every  respect.  The  men 
are  drawn  from  receiving  ships  or  barracks,  where  they 
have  been  under  instruction  since  leaving  their  last  ship, 
all  having  seen  service  and  all  competent  to  perform  the 
duties  of  the  stations  to  which  they  are  assigned.  In 
other  words,  England  has  always  ready  a  body  of  edu 
cated  seamen  from  which  she  can  draw  to  man  the 
ships  ordinarily  commissioned.  In  case  of  emergency, 
when  a  large  number  of  ships  must  be  put  in  service  at 
the  same  time,  she  calls  to  the  colours  the  men  of  the 
naval  reserve.  Other  nations  have  some  similar  plan. 

Now  let  us  see  how  it  is  with  us.  There  is  nothing 
else  in  the  world  so  discouraging  as  the  commissioning 
of  a  new  battleship  in  our  navy.  For  months  after  it 
is  done  the  officers  are  worn  to  a  shadow  in  their  efforts 
to  bring  her  to  a  state  of  efficiency.  When  the  dock 
yard  people  report  her  ready,  the  crew  is  sent  on  board 
and  the  flag  hoisted.  Sometimes  the  complement  of 
officers  is  complete,  but  this  is  often  not  the  case,  and 
always,  because  of  the  shortage  of  officers,  the  number 
detailed  is  about  half  what  it  would  be  for  a  foreign 
ship  of  the  same  class.  As  to  the  crew,  the  captain  is 
indeed  lucky  who  finds  half  of  his  crew  on  board  the 
day  his  flag  is  hoisted.  This  half  crew  is  composed  of 
men  of  different  ratings — excellent  men  many  of  them ; 

343 


An  Admiral's  Log 

some  with  two  years  to  serve  and  many  with  only  two 
months.  To  make  up  the  number  necessary  to  man  the 
ship,  apprentice  seamen  are  sent  from  the  various  train 
ing  stations,  where  they  have  been  drilled  for  a  few 
months  and  taught  to  care  for  their  persons  and  their 
clothing.  For  the  first  time  in  their  lives  they  are  on 
the  deck  of  a  ship,  and  they  are  absolutely  ignorant  of 
their  duties  in  her ;  they  don't  know  one  end  of  the  ship 
from  the  other;  and  with  this  mass  of  ignorance  the 
officers  must  contend.  Fortunately  for  us,  these  re 
cruits  are  most  intelligent  material  to  work  with,  as  a 
rule,  and  our  petty  officers  are  up  to  their  work,  but  for 
the  first  year  of  her  commission  one  of  our  battleships 
is  a  school  unknown  anywhere  else  on  the  water. 

After  a  few  months  of  steady  work,  the  times  of  the 
older  men  begin  to  expire,  and  new  ones  are  sent  in 
their  places.  Those  of  the  recruits  who  find  a  sea  life 
and  hard  work  not  to  their  liking  desert,  and  in  their 
places  come  new  ones  from  the  training  station.  Each 
ship  is  thus  in  some  respects  a  receiving  ship,  con 
stantly  changing  her  crew  by  discharge  or  transfer. 
The  officers  struggle  on  in  their  efforts  to  meet  the  re 
quirements  of  the  commander-in-chief,  who  in  turn  is 
trying  hard  to  do  what  Washington  demands  of  him. 
It  is  amusing  under  such  conditions  to  hear  the  com 
ments  of  the  swivel-chair  critics,  who  from  their  roll-top 
desks  demand  that  we  shall  do  battle  tactics,  fight  one 
squadron  against  another — in  a  few  words,  do  the  vari 
ous  things — some  of  them  very  silly — that  foreign  fleets 
do!  While  these  learned  gentlemen  of  the  chairs  are 
thus  telling  us  what  we  should  do,  we  are  not  really 
idle.  The  captains  and  their  hard-working  juniors  are 

344 


Enlistment  in  the  Navy 

struggling  to  educate  men  to  steer  their  ships,  and  the 
commander-in-chief  is  giving  his  best  efforts  to  pre 
vent  the  ships  from  ramming  each  other  in  the  simplest 
evolutions. 

When  we  take  a  broad  view  of  the  situation,  it 
seems  surprising  that  those  in  charge  in  the  Navy  De 
partment  succeed  as  well  as  they  do  in  manning  our 
ships.  The  difficulties  to  be  overcome  are  far  greater 
than  in  any  other  country.  The  American  lad  who  en 
lists  in  the  navy  to  serve  four  years  has  two  things 
prominently  in  his  mind  when  he  does  so :  first,  he 
wishes  to  travel  and  see  the  world,  and  this  he  is  en 
couraged  to  think  he  can  do  in  the  navy;  in  the  second 
place,  he  wishes,  in  some  undefined  way,  to  advance 
himself  to  a  better  position  in  life.  The  first,  the  wish 
to  travel,  he  generally  realises;  the  second,  to  advance 
himself,  always  follows  if  the  lad  is  industrious  and 
gives  due  attention  to  his  work;  and  herein  lies  our 
greatest  difficulty.  If  at  the  end  of  four  years  he  has 
not  been  promoted,  it  is  his  own  fault,  and  the  navy  is 
no  place  for  him.  For  those  who  succeed,  civil  life,  as 
a  rule,  offers  a  better  career  than  the  navy;  at  least  it 
seems  better  because  of  the  better  pay.  Many  find, 
when  too  late,  that  they  have  made  a  mistake  in  leav 
ing  us. 

Every  man  discharged  from  the  navy  with  an  hon 
ourable  discharge  can  find  employment  on  shore  at  a 
salary  much  larger  than  we  can  pay  him,  and  many 
valuable  men  take  advantage  of  this.  Electric  compa 
nies,  railroads,  and  street  railway  companies  are  glad  to 
get  the  men  whom  we  have  educated,  and  in  some 
cities  preference  is  given  them  on  the  police  force.  Be- 

345 


An  Admiral's  Log 

cause  of  rapid  promotion,  the  lower  grades  of  the  serv 
ice  are  always  filled  by  new  recruits,  and  the  upper 
grades  much  depleted  from  the  causes  stated  above. 
We  are  constantly  taking  men  into  the  service  and,  after 
educating  them,  sending  them  back  to  civil  life  well 
qualified  for  good  citizenship,  and  are  thus  doing  well 
by  the  country,  but  it  does  not  keep  our  ships  manned 
as  they  should  be.  When  we  are  older  as  a  nation  and 
a  sea  power  I  have  no  doubt  that  a  remedy  will  be 
found  for  all  these  things. 

To  give  our  men  the  necessary  preliminary  target 
practice  during  the  summer  months  we  required  smooth 
water,  unencumbered  with  shipping  or  fishermen,  and 
to  find  this  was  very  difficult.  The  long  range  of  our 
guns  made  it  important  that  we  should  fire  to  seaward, 
for  otherwise  the  projectiles  might  land  on  shore  and 
do  much  damage.  For  two  years  the  practice  has  been 
held  in  Menemsha  Bight,  off  Martha's  Vineyard,  but 
fishermen  who  frequented  that  locality  claimed  that  the 
firing  of  the  guns  drove  the  fish  to  sea,  and  thus  inter 
fered  with  their  business.  They  sent  long  petitions  to 
the  Navy  Department,  numerously  signed  and  backed 
by  senators  and  representatives,  protesting  against  our 
practice,  and  it  became  necessary  to  find  a  new  field  for 
our  work.  The  fact  that  our  firing  did  not  in  any  way 
affect  the  fishing,  which  was  conclusively  shown  by 
the  very  best  kind  of  evidence,  had  no  weight.  Voters 
must  be  considered  first,  and,  as  we  had  no  votes  in  the 
navy,  we  left  Menemsha  Bight  and  sought  a  new  target 
range. 

I  had  the  curiosity  later  to  follow  up  one  of  the  peti 
tions  mentioned  above.  It  bore  the  names  of  several 

346 


Cape  Cod  Bay 

hundred  men  and  was  indorsed  by  at  least  one  repre 
sentative  and  one  senator.  When  personally  called  to 
the  attention  of  the  representative  he  at  first  declared 
that  he  had  not  signed  it,  but  later  concluded  that  he 
had  done  so  without  giving  it  any  attention.  Of  the 
men  who  put  their  names  to  it,  nine-tenths  were  not 
fishermen,  but  lived  on  the  shores  of  Cape  Cod  and 
sometimes  went  to  sea  on  coasting  vessels.  Some  of 
them  did  not  even  know  where  Menemsha  Bight  was. 
Most  of  them  might  be  considered  fishermen  only  be 
cause  they  fished  for  small  pieces  of  dried  codfish  found 
in  bowls  on  the  bars  of  local  saloons,  where  they  served 
as  drink  appetisers!  Beyond  this  they  had  no  knowl 
edge  of  fish  or  fishing. 

My  able  chief  of  staff,  Captain  Pillsbury,  looked  the 
coast  charts  over,  and  finally  selected  a  suitable  target 
range  in  Cape  Cod  Bay,  off  the  town  of  Barnstable, 
Massachusetts.  Here  there  was  plenty  of  smooth  water 
during  the  summer  and  autumn  months  and  no  fisher 
men  to  bother  us.  The  beautiful  harbour  of  Province- 
town  was  available  as  headquarters  for  the  fleet,  where 
the  small  vessels  and  torpedo  craft  could  anchor  in 
safety,  even  in  the  worst  storms.  A  better  place  for 
our  work  could  not  apparently  be  found.  Rail  connec 
tions  were  such  that  our  supplies  could  be  easily  han 
dled,  and  in  addition  there  was  daily  communication 
with  Boston  by  boat.  Full  of  enthusiasm  and  fond  an 
ticipations,  I  took  the  fleet  to  Provincetown  and  pre 
pared  for  work. 

The  people  of  the  picturesque  old  New  England 
town  were  glad  to  see  us,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  say 
so.  The  hotels  and  boarding  houses  were  soon  crowded 

347 


An  Admiral's  Log 

with  officers'  families  and  others  anxious  to  witness  our 
drills.  Everything  promised  a  most  comfortable  and 
instructive  period.  The  officers  raised  enough  money 
to  purchase  and  fit  up  an  athletic  field  about  a  mile 
from  the  town,  and  on  this  the  men  by  the  hun 
dreds  spent  their  time  in  healthful  recreation.  I  was 
personally  on  shore  among  the  men  day  and  night  to 
observe  their  conduct  and  see  for  myself  that  they  cre 
ated  no  disturbance.  Everything  went  well  for  a  few 
weeks,  and  then  trouble  began. 

I  noticed  that  some  of  the  men  were  drinking  too 
much,  and  that  the  effect  of  what  they  drank  was  very 
peculiar.  They  were  not  drunk  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  word,  but  crazy  drunk — unable  to  recognise  their 
own  officers.  It  was  against  the  law  to  sell  liquor  in  the 
town,  but  it  was  painfully  evident  that  the  law  was  not 
being  enforced.  Due  inquiry  developed  the  fact  that 
a  number  of  "  blind  tigers  "  were  being  operated,  and 
from  these  the  men  obtained  a  drink  labelled  whisky. 
It  was  in  reality  wood  alcohol,  with  a  little  whiskey  to 
flavour  it.  For  half-pint  bottles  of  this  the  keepers  of 
the  dens  were  being  paid  five  dollars  apiece.  Where 
such  profits  could  be  realised,  the  offenders  simply 
laughed  at  police  regulations.  Upon  representing  the 
matter  to  the  selectmen,  they  frankly  admitted  that  they 
were  unable  to  stop  it.  When  I  suggested  that  they 
allow  me  to  stop  it  for  them,  they  decided  that  it  would 
not  be  lawful  for  me  to  do  so,  but  they  promised  to  pun 
ish  the  offenders  severely  if  I  could  catch  them. 

When  this  was  clearly  understood  I  landed  a  mas- 
ter-at-arms,  one  of  the  ships'  police,  and  two  minors. 
They  bought  the  liquor  and  brought  it  to  me,  with  the 

348 


Recreation  on  Sunday 

name  and  residence  of  the  parties  from  whom  they  had 
purchased  it.  The  case  was  then  taken  to  the  select 
men,  who  tried  the  culprits  and  imposed  a  fine,  with 
imprisonment.  The  lawyer  for  the  defendants  ap 
pealed  the  case,  the  appeal  was  granted,  and  the  case 
ordered  for  retrial  at  Barnstable  in  November,  when  it 
was  thought  the  ships,  with  the  witnesses,  would  be  in 
the  West  Indies !  Of  course,  this  result  did  not  tend  to 
discourage  drinking  places.  In  addition  to  this  evil,  a 
number  of  disreputable  women  came  down  from  Bos 
ton  and  established  their  residences  in  empty  freight 
cars  on  the  wharf.  This,  it  seemed  to  me,  could  have 
been  prevented  without  much  effort.  Notwithstanding 
all  the  drawbacks,  the  conduct  of  the  men  was  good — 
good  enough,  at  any  rate,  to  bring  compliments  from 
the  people  who  saw  them  on  shore. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  summer  real  trouble  came. 
The  bluejackets  were  much  interested  in  baseball,  foot 
ball,  and  other  athletic  sports.  As  they  were  busily  oc 
cupied  with  their  work  all  the  week,  they  were  allowed 
Saturdays  and  Sundays  for  recreation — all  day  Satur 
day,  practically,  and  on  Sunday  after  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  church  services  having  been  held  at  ten 
o'clock  and  the  men's  dinners  served  at  noon.  Nearly 
all  the  inhabitants  visited  the  field  on  Sunday  afternoon 
to  witness  the  spirited  contests  between  the  men  of 
different  ships.  It  seemed  to  me  that  this  way  of  spend 
ing  their  time  was  of  great  benefit  to  the  bluejackets, 
and  I  encouraged  them  in  it.  It  would  have  been  inhu 
man  in  me  to  keep  seven  or  eight  thousand  men  locked 
up  in  the  ships  under  the  circumstances;  and  to  land 
them  simply  to  roam  about  the  town  and  get  drunk  on 

349 


An  Admiral's  Log 

wood  alcohol,  at  ten  dollars  a  pint,  would  be  equally 
bad,  if  not  worse.  I  therefore  encouraged  them  to 
amuse  themselves  by  playing  baseball  and  other  inno 
cent  games  after  church  hours,  as  was  the  custom  of 
Calvin  in  the  town  of  Geneva,  Switzerland. 

My  surprise  was  great  when  I  received  a  letter, 
signed  by  a  number  of  ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  some 
of  the  selectmen,  protesting  against  the  men  indulging 
in  athletic  sport  on  Sunday,  and  requesting  that  I  would 
take  means  to  ensure  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day 
by  those  under  my  command.  I  replied  that  every  day 
was  the  Lord's  day  with  me ;  that  in  deference  to  their 
wishes  I  would  not  allow  athletic  sports  on  Sunday  un 
til  half-past  two  in  the  afternoon,  when  their  church 
services  would  have  been  finished.  I  further  pointed 
out  the  necessity  of  some  form  of  exercise  and  recrea 
tion  for  the  men  of  the  fleet  on  Sunday,  and  suggested 
that,  as  the  athletic  field  was  nearly  a  mile  from  the 
town,  no  one  could  be  disturbed  by  the  games.  I  also 
cited  the  fact  that  most  of  the  people  attended  the 
games  on  Sunday,  thus  indicating  that  they  were  not 
seriously  opposed  to  them.  In  conclusion,  I  requested 
them  to  attend  to  their  own  business  and  not  to  inter 
fere  with  mine ;  that  I  thought  they  would  do  better  to 
look  after  their  "  blind  tigers  "  and  other  violations  of 
law  and  let  my  bluejackets  alone. 

Then  a  letter  was  written  by  these  over-zealous 
Christians  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  calling  atten 
tion  to  the  fact  that  we  were  violating  the  laws  of  the 
State  of  Massachusetts  with  our  Sunday  games.  This 
letter  was  forwarded  to  me  for  reply.  It  informed  me 
for  the  first  time  that  I  was  acting  contrary  to  law  in 

350 


Over-zealous  Christians 

the  course  I  had  pursued.  I  was  aware  that  a  law  had 
been  passed  in  the  State  of  New  York  prohibiting 
games  on  Sunday,  which,  when  carried  into  court,  had 
promptly  been  declared  unconstitutional,  but  I  did  not 
know  and  had  no  reason  to  think  that  there  was  any 
such  law  on  the  statute  books  of  Massachusetts.  The 
appeal  to  me  was  to  see  that  my  men  did  not  violate 
the  Lord's  day;  there  was  no  mention  of  violating 
any  law.  As  soon  as  my  attention  was  called  to  it,  I 
looked  up  the  law,  found  that  I  had  violated  it,  and  at 
once  gave  orders  that  it  should  be  strictly  observed  in 
the  future.  No  naval  officer  will  knowingly  disregard 
the  laws  of  a  state  in  which  he  may  be  temporarily  sta 
tioned. 

It  had  never  occurred  to  me  that  a  body  of  men  so 
wise  and  conservative  as  the  legislature  of  the  great 
State  of  Massachusetts  would  forbid  reasonable  and 
healthy  exercise  on  Sunday  or  any  other  day.  That 
they  might  forbid  the  playing  of  games  by  professionals 
for  money  on  Sunday  was  likely,  but  that  this  involved 
prohibiting  healthful  exercise  or  innocent  amusement 
on  that  day  did  not  follow.  However,  I  had  nothing  to 
do  with  making  the  law ;  my  business  was  to  enforce  it. 
When  I  knew  what  the  law  was,  I  enforced  it  for  those 
under  my  command,  and  am  sorry  to  say  that  those  on 
shore  did  not  do  the  same  for  those  under  their  care. 

The  question  of  reasonable  exercise  and  amusement 
for  the  enlisted  men  was  of  such  importance  in  my  mind 
that  I  informed  the  selectmen  that  I  would  endeavour  to 
find  a  locality  where  the  laws  were  different,  and,  hav 
ing  found  it,  would  use  that  place  instead  of  Province- 
town  as  headquarters  for  the  fleet  thenceforward.  We 

351 


An  Admiral's  Log 

were  spending  about  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  per 
month  in  the  village,  and  this  sum  was  increased  by 
those  who  came  to  the  town  because  we  were  there. 
All  this  money  went  directly  to  the  townspeople  in  one 
way  or  another,  and  the  prospect  of  losing  it  was  not 
pleasing  to  them.  A  mass-meeting  was  called,  at  which 
the  ministers  and  selectmen  who  had  signed  the  letter 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  received  strong  evidence 
of  disapproval  of  their  course.  The  inhabitants  were 
practically  a  unit  against  the  enforcement  of  the  law,  if 
not  in  favour  of  its  repeal.  They  finally  succeeded  in 
having  a  committee  of  the  legislature,  then  in  ses 
sion,  look  into  the  matter,  but  with  what  result  I  have 
never  heard. 

Suitable  ground  was  found  off  the  town  of  Barn- 
stable,  in  the  southern  part  of  Cape  Cod  Bay,  and  here 
our  targets  were  planted.  When  the  heavy  guns  were 
used  a  new  difficulty  was  encountered.  It  was  found 
that  when  a  ship  was  in  a  certain  position  the  -firing 
caused  the  plastering  to  fall  in  in  many  of  the  houses  on 
shore,  ten  or  twelve  miles  away;  in  one  or  two  cases 
the  walls  of  the  houses  were  actually  cracked.  After 
some  investigation,  I  was  satisfied  that  this  was  be 
cause  the  houses  were  built  on,  or  near,  a  ledge  of 
rock  that  extended  out  into  the  bay,  and  that  the  vibra 
tion  caused  by  the  firing  of  the  guns  was  taken  up  by 
this  ledge  and  so  transmitted  to  the  walls.  There  was 
no  other  reasonable  way  of  accounting  for  the  damage 
done.  Most  of  those  whose  property  had  been  thus  in 
jured  were  patriotic  enough  to  let  it  pass,  as  they  felt 
that  we  had  to  fire  the  guns  somewhere.  Others,  how 
ever,  forwarded  claims  to  the  Navy  Department,  de- 

352 


Escorting  Squadron  from  France 

manding  pay  for  the  damage  they  had  sustained.  I 
recall  one  particular  case  of  this  kind.  A  small  farmer 
claimed  that  our  firing  had  caused  the  shelves  in  his 
store-room  to  fall,  and  thus  his  entire  stock  of  pre 
serves  for  the  winter  had  been  destroyed.  He  asked 
the  government  to  pay  him  the  sum  of  thirty-nine  dol 
lars.  His  letter  was  sent  to  me  for  a  statement  and  rec 
ommendation.  I  stated  the  facts  in  the  case,  and  then 
recommended  that  the  proper  county  officials  should  be 
requested  to  proceed  against  him  for  keeping  his  family 
in  a  house  that  was  unsafe  for  them  to  live  in !  If  our 
guns  caused  the  shelves  in  his  store-room  to  fall,  as  he 
claimed  they  did,  a  hard  gale  of  wind  would  probably 
level  the  whole  structure.  I  never  heard  of  the  claim 
again. 

After  two  months  of  steady  work  in  Cape  Cod  Bay 
we  ran  down  to  Newport  and  filled  up  with  coal.  A 
squadron  of  four  ships  was  on  its  way  home  from 
France,  bringing  the  remains  of  John  Paul  Jones,  which 
had  been  discovered  in  Paris  by  our  minister,  General 
Horace  Porter.  The  finding  of  these  remains  after 
years  of  search  constitutes  one  of  the  most  thrilling 
undertakings  ever  carried  out. 

My  orders  were  to  meet  this  squadron  at  sea  and 
escort  them  to  Cape  Henry,  on  their  way  to  Annapolis, 
where  the  remains  of  the  great  sea  fighter  were  to  rest 
in  a  suitable  receptacle  in  the  new  chapel  of  the  Naval 
Academy.  The  date  of  their  sailing  from  France  was 
given,  but  the  point  at  which  I  was  to  meet  these  ves 
sels  was  left  entirely  to  me.  For  practice,  I  assumed 
that  they  represented  an  enemy's  fleet  in  time  of  war, 
and  arranged  to  get  in  touch  with  them  by  scouting, 

353 


An  Admiral's  Log 

and  to  have  their  movements  reported  every  hour.  The 
vessels  were  sent  out  one  after  another  from  Newport, 
and  the  scouting  line  so  arranged  that  Admiral  Sigsbee 
and  his  four  ships  were  picked  up  well  to  the  eastward 
of  Nantucket,  and  at  least  one  scout  was  in  touch  with 
him,  reading  his  wireless  messages,  and  repeating  them 
to  me  for  twenty- four  hours  before  he  joined  company. 
He  was  aware  that  several  ships  were  in  his  vicinity, 
as  he  could  detect  the  working  of  their  wireless  outfits, 
but  as  all  their  messages  were  in  a  cipher  unknown  to 
him  he  could  not  identify  them.  Inside  Cape  Henry  the 
Atlantic  Squadron  was  stopped  and  saluted  the  special 
squadron  as  it  passed  on  up  the  bay. 

Early  in  November  I  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  an 
anchorage  off  Annapolis,  and  there  receive  the  English 
squadron  of  four  armoured  cruisers  under  the  com 
mand  of  his  Serene  Highness  Rear-Admiral  Prince 
Louis  of  Battenberg,  which  was  about  to  arrive  on  our 
coast.  Such  duty  was  a  great  pleasure  to  every  officer 
and  man  in  the  squadron,  as  it  gave  us  an  opportunity 
to  return  some  of  the  kindness  and  courtesy  shown  us 
by  the  officers  and  men  of  the  English  navy  on  many 
occasions.  A  division  of  armoured  cruisers  under  com 
mand  of  Rear-Admiral  Brownson,  which  had  been  es 
corting  President  Roosevelt  to  and  from  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  was  ordered  to  join  me,  which  made  the 
number  of  ships  in  the  receiving  line  twelve,  all  fine 
specimens  of  American  workmanship. 

The  English  squadron  arrived  at  the  hour  an 
nounced,  and  it  was  instructive  to  see  the  wonderful 
speed  and  accuracy  with  which  the  ships  were  handled. 
Only  constant  practice  could  produce  the  results  shown 

354 


Two  Admirals1  Flags 

by  them.  The  American  ships  were  anchored  in  two 
lines,  extending  about  north  and  south.  Inside  of  them 
I  had  marked  an  anchorage  for  the  visitors,  the  position 
of  each  being  indicated  by  a  small  white  buoy.  The 
squadron  came  in  at  a  speed  of  seventeen  knots,  which 
was  not  changed  until  the  buoys  were  approached, 
when  the  engines  were  thrown  full  speed  astern  and 
their  headway  checked.  The  four  anchors  were  let  go 
at  the  same  moment,  almost  on  top  of  the  buoys.  It 
was  a  sight  to  gladden  a  seaman's  heart. 

When  I  had  received  the  Prince  and  returned  his 
call,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
superintendent  of  the  Naval  Academy.  International 
custom  requires  that  the  arriving  officer,  when  of  the 
same  rank  as  the  one  in  port,  or  his  junior,  shall  make 
the  first  call.  Prince  Louis  was  a  Rear-Admiral,  and 
the  same  rank  was  held  by  me  and  by  Admiral  Sands, 
in  command  at  Annapolis.  As  a  matter  of  courtesy,  I 
got  under  way  in  my  tender,  the  Yankton,  commanded 
by  an  able  young  officer,  Lieutenant  W.  R.  Gherardi, 
and  invited  his  Highness  to  take  passage  with  me, 
which  he  was  glad  to  do.  As  he  came  over  the  side 
his  flag  was  broken  out  at  the  mainmast  head,  and  we 
thus  had  the  unusual  sight  of  a  vessel  of  war  flying  the 
American  flag,  with  an  English  admiral's  flag  at  her 
mast  head!  Prince  Louis  appreciated  the  compliment, 
and  turning  to  me  courteously  said : 

"  Admiral,  it  would  be  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  see 
your  flag  flying  at  the  same  time !  " 

Of  course,  my  flag  was  immediately  hoisted  at  the 
foremast  head,  and  we  steamed  up  to  the  Naval  Acad 
emy  with  two  admirals'  flags  hoisted  at  the  same  time 

355 


An  Admiral's  Log 

on  the  same  ship.  I  do  not  know  that  this  was  ever 
seen  before. 

The  visiting  officers  were  entertained  at  the  Naval 
Academy  after  they  had  thoroughly  inspected  that  in 
stitution.  They  were  also  shown  every  possible  cour 
tesy  by  the  officers  afloat,  but  nothing  was  done  for  the 
enlisted  men;  that  was  to  come  later  at  a  more  con 
venient  time  and  place.  The  following  day  a  special 
train  conveyed  a  large  party  of  officers,  both  English 
and  American,  to  Washington,  where  they  were  enter 
tained  by  the  President  and  the  British  ambassador. 
After  a  visit  of  a  few  days  at  the  capital,  the  English 
officers  returned  to  Annapolis,  where  further  entertain 
ments  awaited  them. 

In  the  meantime  I  returned  to  my  flagship,  and 
with  the  squadron  proceeded  to  New  York,  where  I 
was  ordered  to  meet  the  visiting  squadron  and  entertain 
the  officers  and  men.  My  flagship,  the  Maine,  was 
moored  off  the  foot  of  Seventy-ninth  Street,  in  the 
North  River,  and  the  other  ships  in  a  line  upstream 
toward  Grant's  tomb.  They  were  close  in  to  the  shore, 
and  from  the  Riverside  Drive  presented  a  fine  appear 
ance.  When  the  English  squadron  arrived,  the  flag 
ship  was  moored  below  the  Maine  and  next  to  her, 
while  the  others  were  placed  in  line  downstream  toward 
Forty-second  Street.  Thus  the  two  flagships  were  to 
gether,  and  the  combined  squadrons  formed  a  line 
about  three  miles  long  up  and  down  the  river.  The 
following  day  the  British  flagship  was  hauled  into  the 
Cunard  Company's  pier,  that  the  Prince  might  more 
easily  receive  his  visitors. 

The  people  of  New  York  city  received  the  visitors 

356 


An  International  Entertainment 

with  great  courtesy  and  cordiality.  Many  balls  and  re 
ceptions  were  tendered  them,  and  many  private  dinners 
given  in  their  honour.  They  were  taken  to  West  Point 
in  company  with  a  large  party  of  distinguished  people 
who  had  been  invited  to  meet  them.  I  think  the  most 
notable  entertainment  of  all  was  that  given  by  the  en 
listed  men  of  our  squadron  to  those  of  the  British  ships. 
The  entire  affair  was  organised  and  managed  by  a  com 
mittee  of  petty  officers  and  enlisted  men.  They  raised 
the  money  by  subscription  from  the  bluejackets  of  the 
squadron,  designed  the  invitations  and  menu  cards, 
chartered  the  necessary  transportation,  and  made  all  the 
arrangements  for  the  dinner,  which  was  given  at  Coney 
Island. 

On  the  day  appointed  one  of  the  steamers  of  the 
Iron  Steamboat  Company,  which  had  been  secured  for 
the  purpose,  collected  the  men  from  the  different  ships 
and  landed  them  at  Coney  Island  half  an  hour  before 
the  dinner  time.  They  were  then  marched  to  the  dinner 
tables  and  seated,  each  English  bluejacket  having  an 
American  by  his  side.  In  the  meantime  sixty  officers, 
thirty  British  and  a  like  number  of  ours,  had  been  con 
veyed  by  special  trolley  cars  to  the  dining  hall.  Prince 
Louis  and  I  led  the  procession  to  the  large  centre  table 
arranged  for  us,  escorted  by  a  guard  composed  of  men 
from  all  the  ships  in  equal  numbers.  When  we  reached 
our  places  two  little  girls  came  forward,  each  holding  a 
beautiful  bouquet.  One  was  dressed  as  Britannia,  the 
other  as  Columbia.  Miss  Columbia  presented  her  bou 
quet  to  Prince  Louis,  and  I  watched  carefully  to  see 
what  he  would  do.  He  took  the  flowers  and  then 
kissed  the  blushing  maiden  who  presented  them.  Of 
24  357 


An  Admiral's  Log 

course,  I  had  to  do  the  same  thing  for  Miss  Britannia 
when  my  turn  came.  The  cheers  of  the  men  during 
this  pretty  scene  were  deafening. 

When  we  were  seated  at  the  table  we  found  that 
champagne  had  been  served  for  the  officers  and  beer 
for  the  men.  The  wine  was  not  uncorked,  however, 
the  officers  contenting  themselves  with  the  same  kind 
of  refreshment  as  was  served  to  the  bluejackets.  An 
American  petty  officer  welcomed  the  guests,  proposed 
the  health  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  and 
the  King  of  England,  which  we  drank  standing,  and, 
after  three  cheers  for  Prince  Louis  and  his  men,  the 
feast  progressed.  His  Highness  and  I  remained  at  the 
table  only  a  few  minutes,  and  then  went  into  one  of 
the  galleries,  from  which  we  could  have  a  view  of  the 
entire  room.  It  certainly  was  a  wonderfully  beautiful 
sight  as  we  glanced  over  the  twenty-four  hundred  en 
listed  men  seated  at  the  tables — twelve  hundred  British 
and  twelve  hundred  Americans.  Looking  only  at  their 
faces,  one  could  not  say  which  was  which ;  only  by  their 
uniforms  could  one  nationality  be  told  from  the  other. 
The  dinner  was  finished  at  midnight,  when  the  room 
was  quickly  transformed  into  a  theatre,  and  a  fine  com 
pany,  engaged  for  the  occasion,  rendered  an  excellent 
vaudeville  performance  until  four  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  when  the  men  returned  by  trolley  cars  to  Brooklyn 
and  were  taken  off  to  their  ships.  A  large  police  force 
was  on  hand  to  protect  the  men  from  interference  by 
outside  people  and  to  care  for  any  who  might  imbibe 
too  freely.  The  officer  in  charge  of  this  force  reported 
that  there  was  no  disorder  of  any  kind,  and  not  a  single 
arrest  was  made  of  any  sailor  in  uniform.  Who  will 

358 


Prince  Louis  in  New  York 

not  say,  with  the  gallant  Tatnall,  that  "  blood  is  thicker 
than  water  "  ? 

In  the  meantime,  while  the  men  were  enjoying 
their  dinner,  the  officers  were  whisked  off  in  automo 
biles  to  the  horse  show  in  Madison  Square  Garden.  We 
only  remained  half  an  hour  with  the  men  at  dinner  and 
then  withdrew,  leaving  them  to  their  own  devices  for 
the  rest  of  the  night.  Headed  by  the  chief  of  police  of 
the  city  of  New  York,  we  raced  in  motor  cars  from 
Coney  Island  to  the  Garden  in  less  than  forty  minutes. 
The  green  light  on  the  leading  car  gave  us  the  right  of 
way,  and  warned  all  policemen  that  their  chief  was 
setting  the  pace  for  us,  and  that  we  could  go  as  fast 
as  the  machines  could  take  us.  It  was  a  beautiful  ride, 
but  I,  for  one,  was  glad  when  we  arrived  without  acci 
dent.  Some  of  the  turns  in  the  narrow  streets  of 
Brooklyn  were  made  at  a  break-neck  speed  that  would 
have  made  a  bad  mess  for  us  if  any  part  of  one  of  the 
machines  had  broken. 

At  the  horse  show  the  British  officers  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  seeing  New  York  society  on  dress  parade,  so 
to  speak.  Beautiful  women  in  exquisite  gowns,  wear 
ing  fortunes  in  gems,  and  handsome  men  in  immaculate 
evening  dress,  filled  the  boxes,  while  blue-ribbon  thor 
oughbreds  filled  the  ring.  Prince  Louis  made  a  circuit 
of  the  parade,  admiring  what  he  saw  in  both  the  boxes 
and  the  ring.  I  have  no  doubt  that  in  his  experience 
abroad  he  had  seen  much  the  same  thing  before,  for  the 
world  has  many  such  exhibitions,  but  I  am  sure  that 
what  he  witnessed  at  Coney  Island  was  entirely  new  to 
him — the  world  does  not  often  present  the  spectacle  of 
twenty- four  hundred  bluejackets  seated  at  dinner  in  one 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

room,  half  of  them  being  entertained  at  the  expense  of 
the  other  half. 

In  return  for  the  courtesies  shown  him,  the  Prince 
gave  a  great  ball  on  board  his  flagship.  A  complete 
deck  was  laid  over  the  upper  works  of  the  Drake,  and 
the  whole  space  enclosed  in  canvas.  Flowers  and  flags 
were  used  in  profusion,  and  a  dancing  room  of  fairy- 
like  beauty  was  produced.  The  entire  ship  was  thrown 
open  to  the  great  crowd  of  friends  who  responded  to 
his  invitations,  and  the  Prince  and  his  officers  were  un 
tiring  in  their  attentions  to  all.  A  portion  of  the  dock 
adjacent  to  the  ship  was  partitioned  off,  and  at  midnight 
a  sumptuous  banquet  was  served.  No  finer  entertain 
ment,  I  think,  was  ever  given  by  a  ship. 

When  the  time  came  to  leave,  Prince  Louis  con 
fided  to  me  that  there  had  been  but  one  unpleasant  inci 
dent  during  his  entire  visit,  and,  as  that  afterwards 
appeared  in  the  newspapers,  I  may  mention  it  here. 
Some  friend  had  recommended  a  dentist  to  him  in  New 
York,  and,  requiring  his  services,  he  had  employed  him 
to  do  a  small  amount  of  work  on  his  teeth.  To  his  sur 
prise  and  annoyance,  this  dentist  sent  in  a  bill  of  one 
thousand  dollars !  I  advised  the  Prince  to  refuse  to  pay 
such  an  exorbitant  sum,  and  to  turn  the  matter  over  to 
his  consul-general  for  settlement.  The  newspapers 
somehow  heard  of  it,  and  when  they  were  through  with 
the  gentleman  I  think  he  was  quite  willing  to  accept  a 
reasonable  amount  for  his  services!  The  advertising 
he  received  was  not  of  the  kind  that  dentists  like. 

A  short  time  after  the  English  cruiser  squadron  re 
turned  to  England,  I  received  from  Prince  Louis  two 
souvenirs  of  their  visit  to  the  United  States.  One  was 

360 


The  Battenberg  Cup 

for  me  personally  from  his  Highness — a  cigarette 
case  with  two  admirals'  flags,  British  and  American, 
enamelled  upon  it,  and  the  words,  "  Yankton,  3-11- 
05,'*  the  date  of  our  visit  to  Annapolis,  when  the  two 
flags  flew  at  the  same  time  from  the  same  ship.  The 
other  was  a  beautiful  cup,  very  large  and  heavy,  for  the 
men  of  the  American  squadron  from  the  enlisted  men 
of  the  English  squadron.  In  the  letter  forwarding 
them  the  request  was  made  that  this  cup  should  be  con 
sidered  a  challenge  cup,  to  be  raced  for  by  the  men  of 
our  squadron.  It  was  duly  name<4  the  "  Battenberg 
Cup,"  and  is  held  as  a  perpetual  challenge  cup.  Many 
spirited  contests  have  been  held  for  it,  and  it  is  now 
regarded  as  the  most  valuable  racing  trophy  among  the 
many  in  possession  of  the  Atlantic  Fleet.  In  drawing 
up  the  rules  governing  the  race  for  it  I  inserted  a 
clause  that  any  British  vessel  might  compete  for  the 
cup,  providing  she  pulled  in  one  of  our  regulation 
racing  cutters.  If  she  should  win,  the  name  of  the  ship 
should  be  inscribed  on  it,  but  the  cup  must  remain  in 
our  possession.  Since  then  the  name  of  one  British 
ship  has  been  so  inscribed.  The  cruiser  Argyle  won 
in  a  splendidly  contested  race  in  Hampton  Roads 
during  the  Jamestown  Exposition,  and  hers  is  the 
only  name  of  an  English  ship,  so  far,  on  the  coveted 
trophy. 

It  cannot  be  doubted  that  this  visit  of  the  cruiser 
squadron  had  an  excellent  effect  in  strengthening  the 
friendly  ties  that  bind  the  two  great  English-speaking 
nations.  Friendships  were  formed  not  only  between 
the  men  of  the  two  services,  but  also  between  the  Eng 
lish  sailors  and  our  people  on  shore  which  must  in  the 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

future  tend  to  hold  us  to  the  mother  country  in  bonds 
of  forbearance  and  peace. 

Having  completed  the  entertainment  of  these  wel 
come  guests  of  our  government — and  paid  the  bills  out 
of  our  own  pockets — the  ships  of  the  squadron  were 
sent  to  the  navy  yards  for  a  brief  period  of  repairs,  to 
be  made  ready  for  the  winter's  work  in  the  West  Indies. 

During  the  early  months  of  the  summer  I  had  given 
much  time  to  two  evolutions  at  the  request  of  the  War 
College,  made  through  the  general  board.  A  battle 
plan  submitted  in  the  same  way  would  have  received 
careful  attention  if  it  had  been  sent  to  me.  Owing  to  a 
mistake  on  the  part  of  the  mailing  clerk  in  the  board 
room,  or  some  one  else,  this  plan  rested  in  a  pigeonhole 
several  months,  and  was  only  brought  to  light  when  I  had 
been  charged  with  neglecting  to  carry  out  the  wishes  of 
the  Bureau  of  Navigation  in  the  matter  of  battle  plans. 
Some  of  the  swivel-chair  men  were  quite  strong  in  their 
condemnation.  Later,  I  believe,  the  matter  was  taken 
to  the  President,  and  then  the  truth  became  known  and 
the  blame  placed  where  it  belonged.  No  real  battle 
practice,  in  the  sense  of  one  fleet  actually  operating 
against  another,  had  yet  been  held,  because  we  had  no 
cruisers  or  vessels  to  do  the  work.  In  addition,  the  bat 
tleships  had  not  had  sufficient  work  in  preliminary 
drills. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

IN   THE   WEST   INDIES 

EARLY  in  December  the  squadron  assembled  at  Fort 
Monroe,  and  for  the  first  time  a  division  of  armoured 
cruisers  was  available  for  work  with  the  squadron.  A 
very  able  and  skilful  officer,  Rear-Admiral  Brownson, 
was  in  command  of  this  division,  and  entered  with 
great  enthusiasm  into  the  plans  I  proposed.  I  was 
anxious  to  test  the  wireless  outfits  of  the  squadron  and 
to  see  how  far  I  could  rely  on  them  as  a  means  of  keep 
ing  me  in  touch  with  an  opposing  fleet :  first,  when  such 
a  fleet  was  without  cruisers,  and  hence  in  no  danger  of 
interference ;  second,  when  all  known  means  of  interfer 
ence  were  used.  The  dry  dock  Dewey  had  started  for 
Manila  in  tow  of  suitable  vessels,  and  was  supposed  to 
be  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  Bermuda.  This  gave 
a  fine  opportunity  to  test  the  first  part  of  the  problem — 
viz.:  the  confidence  to  be  placed  in  the  wireless  tele 
graph  as  a  means  of  keeping  in  touch  with  an  enemy's 
fleet  which  was  without  cruisers. 

The  cruiser  division  was  sent  to  sea  from  Hamp 
ton  Roads  at  such  intervals  that  they  found  themselves 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  apart  when  clear  of  the 
land.  When  the  last  one  had  attained  her  position  I 
sailed  with  the  battleships,  bound  for  Culebra.  Admiral 
Brownson  had  orders  to  keep  his  cruiser  line  at  right 

363 


An  Admiral's  Log 

angles  to  my  course,  pick  up  the  Dewey,  and  keep  me 
informed  by  wireless  of  her  movements,  which  he  did 
most  successfully.  The  dock  was  found  south-east  of 
Bermuda,  and  for  five  days  and  nights  I  knew  exactly 
where  she  was  and  what  she  was  doing,  although  she 
was  fifteen  hundred  miles  away.  When  we  anchored  in 
Target  Bay,  the  cruisers  were  recalled,  and  arrived  with 
intervals  about  as  regular  as  they  were  when  they  sailed 
from  Hampton  Roads.  The  other  part  of  the  problem, 
which  involved  the  possibility  of  so  interfering  with  the 
working  of  the  wireless  as  to  prevent  reliable  communi 
cation,  was  tried  later,  but  of  this  I  cannot  write  in  de 
tail.  Sufficient  to  say  that  for  three  days  and  nights 
four  cruisers  kept  me  informed  of  the  movements  of  an 
opposing  division  of  battleships.  Notwithstanding  the 
efforts  of  the  battleships  to  prevent  it,  a  message  came 
every  two  hours,  giving  their  position,  course,  and 
speed.  The  work  was  most  exhausting  for  the  ma 
chines  as  well  as  the  men  working  them,  but  it  settled  a 
very  important  professional  point. 

Target  ranges  were  laid  out  in  the  vicinity  of  Tar 
get  Bay,  and  the  armoured  cruiser  division  held  their 
preliminary  practice,  while  the  battleships  in  two  divi 
sions  continued  their  tactical  work  at  sea.  When  the 
firing  had  been  completed,  the  squadron  proceeded  to 
Guantanamo  for  small-arm  practice.  When  we  arrived 
the  marines  of  all  the  ships  were  at  once  landed,  as  had 
been  done  the  year  before,  and  put  under  canvas.  A 
new  camping  place  had  been  selected,  which  was  much 
larger  than  the  one  we  had  previously  used.  To  facili 
tate  the  practice  of  the  bluejackets  and  extend  their 
work,  they  also  were  landed,  one  ship's  company  at  a 

364 


A  Very  Successful  Regatta 

time.  Men  so  landed  lived  on  shore  for  a  week,  or  until 
the  firing  had  been  completed.  In  this  way  the  men 
were  relieved  from  the  monotony  of  ship  life  and  at  the 
same  time  learned  many  things  that  would  prove  of 
value  to  them  in  case  it  became  necessary  to  land  them 
for  service  as  a  naval  brigade.  While  this  work  was  in 
hand  the  squadron,  except  the  ship  whose  men  were  on 
shore,  got  under  way  every  day  and  exercised  at  sea. 
Saturdays  and  Sundays  were,  as  usual,  given  up  to  ath 
letics  after  church  time,  as  well  as  a  portion  of  every 
other  afternoon  after  the  ships  returned  to  their  anchor 
age.  In  this  way  nearly  ten  thousand  men  were  made 
happy  and  contented  while  they  did  a  great  amount  of 
hard  work.  Not  a  day  was  allowed  to  pass  without 
serious  preparatory  drill  for  the  record  target  practice 
to  take  place  later  off  Cape  Cruz. 

Despite  the  amount  of  work  done,  we  found  time  to 
prepare  for  a  regatta  at  which  the  Battenberg  Cup  and 
many  other  valuable  trophies  were  raced  for.  I  had 
succeeded  after  a  long  struggle  in  having  regulation 
twelve-oared  racing  cutters  adopted  for  the  service,  and 
in  them  the  men  pulled  for  the  challenge  cups.  Other 
races  were  contested  in  the  regular  boats  of  the  ships. 
It  had  been  the  custom  in  years  gone  by  for  the  men  of 
each  ship  to  raise  a  sufficient  sum  to  purchase  a  racing 
boat.  If  such  a  boat  won,  some  ship  would  immedi 
ately  have  a  faster  one  built.  Thus  it  became  a  ques 
tion  of  boats  and  not  of  crews  that  won  many  races. 
This  custom  caused  the  men  to  spend  large  sums  of 
money  for  purely  racing  machines,  which  was  a  hard 
ship,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  put  a  stop  to  it.  A 
suitable  light  racing  cutter  was  designed  and  one  built 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

at  the  navy  yard  for  each  vessel  in  the  service.  They 
were  as  nearly  as  possible  exactly  of  the  same  dimen 
sions  and  weight,  thus  permitting  the  crews  to  pull  on 
even  terms.  The  best-trained  crew,  as  a  rule,  won, 
which  was  as  it  should  be.  At  the  regatta  mentioned 
above  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  eleven  hundred  men 
in  pulling  boats  at  the  same  time!  And  at  other  times 
fifty  or  sixty  boats  were  racing  under  sails.  Because 
of  these  contests  and  the  boxing  bouts  which  took 
place  daily  on  the  various  ships,  the  men  were  better 
able  to  perform  their  duties  at  the  guns.  We  thus  de 
veloped  a  large  number  of  men  who  were  as  active  as 
cats  and  as  tough  as  nails. 

While  anchored  at  Guantanamo  later  in  the  winter, 
a  telegram  came  from  Governor  Magoon  at  Havana 
announcing  a  destructive  earthquake  at  Kingston,  in 
the  island  of  Jamaica.  As  I  now  recall  the  message,  it 
was,  in  effect,  that  the  city  was  partially  destroyed, 
causing  many  deaths  and  much  suffering,  and  that  the 
governor  of  Jamaica  had  asked  the  English  consul  at 
Havana  for  assistance.  Governor  Magoon  asked  if  I 
could  not  render  prompt  assistance  by  sending  over  re 
lief  supplies  and  surgeons  on  a  torpedo  boat.  I  replied 
that  I  could,  and  would  do  so  with  pleasure.  When  the 
message  came  I  was  on  board  the  Alabama,  flagship  of 
Rear- Admiral  Davis,  commanding  the  second  division, 
and  as  soon  as  I  realised  the  gravity  of  the  situation  I 
ordered  the  admiral  to  prepare  to  sail  immediately  for 
Kingston  with  two  battleships,  and  on  his  arrival  to 
render  all  possible  assistance  to  the  people  of  the 
stricken  city.  I  was  fortunate  in  having  such  a  man 
as  Admiral  Davis  available  for  such  important  duty. 

366 


Earthquake  at  Kingston 

The  flotilla  of  destroyers  was  at  the  moment  engaged 
in  manoeuvres  in  the  outer  harbour.  It  was  half-past 
nine  in  the  morning  when  the  message  came,  and  at  ten 
o'clock  I  made  signal  for  the  fastest  of  the  boats  to 
return  to  her  anchorage  immediately  and  prepare  for  a 
full-speed  run  at  sea. 

In  the  meantime  signal  was  made  for  emergency 
medical  supplies  to  be  sent  to  my  flagship,  where  they 
were  assembled  under  the  care  of  the  surgeon  of  the 
fleet,  who,  with  two  other  surgeons,  was  in  readiness  to 
sail  on  the  destroyer.  At  a  quarter  before  eleven  the 
Whipple,  the  fastest  of  the  destroyers,  left  the  harbour 
with  orders  to  proceed  with  all  despatch  to  Kingston, 
render  what  aid  she  could,  and  notify  the  governor  that 
Admiral  Davis  would  arrive  at  daylight  the  following 
morning  with  two  battleships,  fully  prepared  to  assist  in 
any  way  the  governor  might  direct. 

The  Whipple  was  driven  at  full  speed  through  a 
very  rough  sea,  and  arrived  off  the  harbour  early  in  the 
evening.  The  earthquake  had  destroyed,  or  damaged, 
the  lighthouse  and  other  aids  to  navigation,  and  the 
pilots  refused  to  take  the  Whipple  into  the  harbour,  but 
her  commanding  officer  succeeded  in  safely  navigating 
her  to  one  of  the  docks,  and  immediately  reported  his 
arrival.  The  surgeons  went  to  work  at  once  to  relieve 
the  great  suffering  evident  everywhere. 

Admiral  Davis  left  Guantanamo  with  two  battle 
ships,  and  appeared  off  Kingston  at  daylight  the  follow 
ing  morning.  Before  he  left  I  told  him  that  he  would 
find  Governor  Swettenham  of  Jamaica  a  charming 
man.  I  felt  sure  of  this,  because  I  had  known  his 
brother,  Sir  Frank  Swettenham,  in  Singapore,  and  I 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

was  confident  that  any  brother  of  his  must  be  a  charm 
ing  good  fellow.  When  the  admiral  returned  to  Guan- 
tanamo,  four  days  later,  he  said  to  me : 

'  You  may  select  good  fellows  for  some  of  your 

friends,  but  I  will  be  if  you  can  select  one 

forme!" 

After  hearing  his  account  of  his  visit  and  his  expe 
rience  with  the  governor,  I  felt  that  I  had  not  been  jus 
tified  in  my  statement  that  he  would  find  him  a  charm 
ing  man. 

The  two  battleships  arrived  in  the  harbour  very 
early  in  the  morning,  and  found  things  there  in  pretty 
bad  shape.  The  dock  was  crowded  with  passengers, 
many  of  them  Americans,  waiting  for  a  steamer  to  take 
them  away.  They  were  without  food  or  any  of  the 
conveniences  of  life.  They  were  at  once  made  comfort 
able  and  fed  on  board  the  ships.  The  colonial  secretary 
reported  to  Admiral  Davis  that  the  convicts  in  the  jail 
had  overcome  the  guards  and  were  making  trouble,  and 
that  the  governor  requested  him,  Admiral  Davis,  to 
look  after  them,  which  he  promptly  did.  One  of  the 
battleships  was  anchored  near  the  jail,  a  detail  of  men 
under  arms  was  landed,  and  in  a  short  time  the  convicts 
were  back  in  their  cells  and  reduced  to  order.  In  the 
meantime  the  surgeons  had  selected  a  building  which 
was  being  used  as  a  hospital,  and  many  patients  were 
being  treated  by  them.  English  engineer  officers  had 
asked  for  parties  of  men,  and  these,  by  the  use  of  dyna 
mite,  were  destroying  many  dangerous  walls.  Other 
parties  were  working  in  the  blazing  sun  and  sickening 
stench  to  remove  the  dead  and  rescue  the  wounded  from 
the  ruins.  In  a  word,  Admiral  Davis  did  what  was 


Governor  Swettenham 

expected  of  an  able  and  energetic  officer  under  the  cir 
cumstances,  and  he  did  it  well,  as  he  always  did  every 
thing  he  was  ordered  to  do. 

After  rather  a  long  delay,  the  admiral  succeeded  in 
finding  the  governor,  who  seemed  worn  out  with  the 
work  and  worry  of  the  past  few  days.  His  Excellency, 
with  scant  show  of  courtesy,  demanded  to  know  why 
armed  men  had  been  landed  before  a  request  to  do  so 
had  been  made.  Admiral  Davis  replied  that  he  had  re 
ceived  such  a  request  from  the  governor,  conveyed 
through  his  colonial  secretary,  and  that  he  had  landed 
the  men  to  give  such  assistance  as  had  been  asked  for. 
The  governor  denied  that  he  had  made  any  such  re 
quest,  asked  that  the  men  be  sent  back  to  their  ships  at 
once,  and  that  the  ships  leave  the  harbour,  as  their 
presence  was  not  welcome.  Admiral  Davis  said  he 
would  go  to  the  jail  and  order  the  men  embarked  at 
once.  The  governor  then  said  that  he  was  going  to  the 
jail  himself,  and  requested  the  admiral  to  drive  there 
with  him  and  the  colonial  secretary,  which  he  did.  On 
arriving  there  the  necessary  orders  were  given  to  the 
officer  in  command  of  the  sailors,  and  then  the  governor 
requested  that  a  detail  of  them  should  act  as  a  guard  for 
him  while  he  held  court  for  the  purpose  of  punishing 
some  of  the  convicts.  His  request  was  granted,  and  the 
same  bluejackets  who,  as  he  claimed,  had  been  landed 
against  his  wishes  stood  guard  over  him  while  he  per 
formed  his  judicial  functions!  As  soon  as  possible  the 
working  parties  were  recalled,  and  the  following  day 
the  ships  put  to  sea,  after  landing  all  the  medical  and 
other  supplies  they  had  brought.  V- 

The  mass  of  the  people  of  Kingston  were  grateful 
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An  Admiral's  Log 

for  the  assistance  given  them,  and  all  of  them,  except 
his  Excellency  the  governor  and  a  few  of  his  staff, 
wanted  the  ships  to  remain,  despite  the  governor's  invi 
tation  to  leave ;  but  this,  of  course,  was  out  of  the  ques 
tion,  and  they  returned  to  Guantanamo.  A  more  dis 
gusted  set  of  officers  and  men  I  have  never  seen.  I  not 
only  approved  the  conduct  of  Admiral  Davis  in  the 
whole  matter,  but  I  heartily  commended  him  for  the 
wonderful  coolness  he  showed  under  most  trying  condi 
tions.  He  made  a  full  report  of  his  trip,  which  was 
approved  by  the  President  and  the  Navy  Department. 
The  English  press  gave  us  praise  for  what  we  did,  and 
many  telegrams  were  received  thanking  me  for  acting 
promptly  and  Admiral  Davis  for  the  assistance  ren 
dered.  Governor  Swettenham  was  promptly  removed 
by  his  government,  which  entirely  disapproved  of  his 
conduct,  and  a  new  man  was  put  in  his  place. 

After  the  return  of  the  ships  from  Jamaica  the 
squadron  was  organised  into  two  divisions,  and  the  bat 
tle  plans  submitted  by  the  War  College  were  thoroughly 
threshed  out.  Every  morning  the  division  commanded 
by  Admiral  Davis  went  to  sea,  and  when  they  were  out 
of  sight  I  followed  with  the  first  division.  After 
manoeuvring  for  position,  the  two  divisions  came  within 
range  of  each  other  and  a  battle  followed,  each  phase 
of  which  was  carefully  followed  by  umpires,  who  plot 
ted  the  positions  of  the  various  vessels  at  short  inter 
vals.  In  this  way  much  valuable  experience  was  gained, 
and  the  weak  as  well  as  the  strong  points  of  the  war- 
college  plans  demonstrated.  The  guns  were  kept  con 
stantly  trained  and  their  fire  concentrated  on  the  oppos 
ing  ships ;  the  number  of  rounds  fired,  or  supposed  to  be 

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Improvement  in  Target  Practice 

fired,  were  counted;  in  a  few  words,  the  exercise  was 
as  much  like  actual  battle  as  it  could  be  made.  For  the 
first  time  in  my  experience  the  ships  were  all  handled 
from  the  conning  towers,  as  would  be  the  case  in  time 
of  war.  When  all  this  work  had  been  completed,  the 
results,  with  full  plans  of  each  battle,  were  forwarded 
to  the  Department,  that  the  war  college  might  see  the 
practical  working  of  its  theories.  As  I  now  recall  it, 
one  of  the  battle  plans  was  excellent  and  the  others  of 
little  value.  Some  of  the  results  were  so  startling  that 
I  requested  the  Department  to  regard  them  as  confiden 
tial  and  not  to  allow  them  to  be  published. 

Target  practice  on  the  Cape  Cruz  range  followed 
our  sea  work,  and  the  much-coveted  trophy  came  to  the 
North  Atlantic  Squadron  for  the  first  time.  The  gen 
eral  improvement  in  rapidity  and  accuracy  of  fire  was 
marked  and  most  gratifying  to  officers  and  men.  They 
had  given  all  their  time  to  careful  preparation,  and  as 
a  result  the  trophy  came  to  us,  and  the  gunnery  pennant 
flew  from  the  mast  head  of  the  battleship  Illinois.  It 
was  only  after  a  very  careful  computation  of  results 
that  it  could  be  decided  which  of  three  battleships  had 
won,  so  close  had  been  the  contest.  For  a  time  it  was 
felt  that  the  Kentucky  was  ahead  of  all  competitors,  but 
in  the  end  the  Illinois  was  declared  the  winner. 

During  this  practice  we  lost  one  of  the  best  captains 
in  the  fleet.  He  had  served  with  me  in  the  gunboat  York- 
town  during  a  cruise  in  the  Pacific,  and  was  a  most  inti 
mate  personal  friend.  When  the  cruiser  Colorado  had 
completed  her  target  practice,  I  received  a  signal  that 
her  commanding  officer,  Captain  Duncan  Kennedy,  was 
ill,  suffering  intensely  from  appendicitis.  I  sent  the 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

ablest  surgeons  of  the  fleet  to  him  at  once,  but  it  was 
impossible  to  save  his  life.  An  operation  was  per 
formed  from  which  he  never  rallied.  Though  appar 
ently  in  splendid  physical  condition,  he  was  unable  to 
stand  the  fearful  suffering  caused  by  the  inflamed  con 
dition  of  the  appendix  and  the  surrounding  portions  of 
his  body.  His  death  was  a  sad  personal  loss  to  me,  as 
well  as  a  great  loss  to  the  service  which  he  loved  and 
honoured  by  his  devotion  to  its  best  interests.  The  sur 
geon  who  operated  on  him  reported  to  me  afterwards 
that  he  had  found  eight  birdshot  in  his  appendix,  which 
seems  to  disprove  the  theory  that  nothing  ever  enters 
that  apparently  useless  member  of  our  anatomy. 

The  battleship  Kearsarge  met  with  a  deplorable  ac 
cident  during  the  practice,  by  which  two  gallant  young 
officers  and  nine  men  lost  their  lives.  The  ship  had 
made  her  last  run  on  the  range  and  completed  part  of 
her  practice,  but  one  of  the  thirteen-inch  guns  in  her 
forward  turret  had  failed  to  fire  because  of  a  defective 
lock.  The  umpires  and  the  gun's  crew  were  in  the  tur 
ret  examining  this  lock  and  unloading  the  gun  when  the 
accident  happened.  The  cartridge  for  this  gun  is  in 
three  sections,  and  these  had  been  withdrawn  and  were 
lying  on  the  turret  floor  waiting  to  be  replaced  in  the 
magazine.  To  withdraw  the  shot,  a  heavy  pair  of  shell 
tongs  were  being  inserted  in  the  breech  of  the  gun, 
when  they  slipped  from  the  man's  hand  and  fell  in  such 
a  position  that  the  metal  handle  short-circuited  the  elec 
tric  current  in  the  turret.  The  heat  from  this  melted  a 
copper  connection,  and  the  melted  copper  fell  onto  one 
of  the  sections  of  the  cartridge  and  set  it  on  fire.  The 
other  sections  were  ignited  at  once,  and  before  any  one 

372 


A  Deplorable  Accident 

could  leave  the  turret  it  was  a  seething  mass  of  poison 
ous  gases  from  the  burning  smokeless  powder.  The 
turret  was  flooded  at  once  with  water,  and  willing  hands 
were  extended  to  save  those  inside,  but  it  was  too  late ; 
one  breath  of  the  hot,  poisonous  gas  was  enough  to  kill 
where  the  hot  flames  from  the  powder  had  not  instantly 
put  the  unfortunate  men  out  of  their  misery.  Some  of 
the  men  were  taken  out  dead,  but  many,  though  badly 
burned,  were  still  conscious,  and  from  these  we  were 
able  to  learn  how  the  accident  had  happened.  Fortu 
nately,  this  time  it  was  not  the  dreaded  flare  back,  nor 
anything  to  destroy  confidence  in  the  gun  or  its  ammu 
nition.  It  was  a  peculiar  accident,  which  could  prob 
ably  not  be  reproduced  if  one  tried  a  million  times.  To 
prevent  the  possibility  of  more  trouble  from  the  same 
cause,  the  electric  fittings  have  been  removed  from  all 
the  turrets  of  our  ships  and  placed  beneath  the  floors, 
where  they  would  seem  to  be  accident  proof. 

Among  the  men  seriously  hurt  in  this  accident  was 
one  who  showed  the  most  remarkable  vitality.  He  was 
a  seaman  who  had  been,  in  his  early  life,  badly  cut  up 
in  a  railroad  accident.  His  flesh  about  the  legs  and 
thighs  was  so  badly  burned  in  this  accident  that  little 
but  the  bones  remained,  and  it  was  impossible  to  send 
him  to  Jhe  hospital  on  shore.  He  was  told  that  there 
was  little  hope  for  his  life,  to  which  he  replied  that  he 
was  not  going  to  die  from  these  injuries,  that  he  had 
been  much  more  severely  hurt  in  a  railroad  accident, 
and  that  he  meant  to  get  well.  To  give  the  poor  fellow 
every  chance  for  his  life,  I  sent  the  Kearsarge  to  Guan- 
tanamo,  where  she  remained  at  anchor  while  the  sur 
geons  did  all  that  surgeons  could  do  to  save  him.  He 
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An  Admiral's  Log 

lingered  nine  days  before  he  finally  died.  When  he  had 
been  decently  and  properly  buried,  the  ship  was  sent 
back  to  the  target  ranges,  and  the  turret  where  the  acci 
dent  had  happened  made  a  record  equal  to  any  in  the 
squadron,  which  shows  how  perfect  the  discipline  was. 

Lieutenants  Hudgins  and  Graeme,  who  died  from 
the  effects  of  the  burning  smokeless  powder,  might 
easily  have  saved  their  own  lives  by  jumping  from  the 
turret,  but,  instead,  they  attempted  to  save  the  lives  of 
the  men  by  stepping  in  front  of  them,  thus  showing  the 
splendid  spirit  that  animated  them.  It  is  such  conduct 
as  theirs  that  makes  our  service  what  it  is  and  fixes 
standards  for  all  brave  men  to  live  up  to. 

The  armoured  cruiser  squadron  sailed  for  the 
north  when  their  practice  had- been  completed,  and  were 
at  once  refitted  at  the  navy  yards  and  sailed  for  the 
East  under  command  of  Admiral  Brownson.  We  were 
thus  deprived  of  cruisers  in  all  our  battle  drills,  and  the 
loss  was  severely  felt. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

AT   THE   JAMESTOWN    EXPOSITION 

EARLY  in  May  the  battleships  were  sent  to  the  navy 
yards  and  necessary  repairs  made.  We  then  assembled 
in  Cape  Cod  Bay  for  our  preliminary  target  practice, 
which  had  only  begun  when  an  order  came  from  the 
Department  to  send  all  the  marines  of  the  fleet  to  Ha 
vana,  where  a  strong  naval  force  had  been  concentrated 
to  check  a  revolution  which  had  gained  some  headway 
and  was  threatening  to*  overthrow  the  government. 
Four  hours  after  the  order  was  received  every  marine 
in  the  squadron  left  us  on  the  two  battleships  which 
had  been  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  scene  of  trouble. 
The  squadron  was  thus  left  without  a  single  marine  to 
do  the  important  sentry  duty  without  which  many  offi 
cers  claimed  we  could  not  maintain  discipline,  but  no 
such  trouble  came.  A  small  detail  of  bluejackets  on 
each  ship  did  the  work  formerly  done  by  the  marines 
in  addition  to  their  own,  and  the  only  comment  heard 
was  that  we  seemed  to  be  happier  and  more  efficient 
without  the  soldiers  than  with  them.  In  the  meantime 
the  senior  officer  off  Havana  had  under  his  command, 
and  ready  in  every  way  for  service  on  shore,  a  regiment 
of  marines,  and  this  same  regiment  was  afterwards 
placed  in  Camp  Columbia  or  distributed  over  the  island 
of  Cuba,  where  the  officers  and  men  did  excellent  serv 
ice  until  they  were  recalled. 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

President  Roosevelt  was  very  anxious  to  see  the  tar 
get  practice  of  some  of  our  battleships,  and  this  he  was 
able  to  do  in  Cape  Cod  Bay.  He  came  from  Oyster  Bay 
on  board  the  Mayflower,  arriving  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  At  the  time  of  his  visit  the  revolution  in 
Cuba  had  assumed  such  a  serious  aspect  that  it  seemed 
probable  that  the  United  States  would  have  to  take 
charge  of  the  island  again  to  prevent  great  disorder  and 
destruction  of  property.  A  number  of  telegrams  had 
arrived  for  the  President  by  wireless,  which  were  deliv 
ered  by  me  in  person  the  moment  the  Mayflower  dropped 
her  anchor.  After  reading  them  over  he  prepared 
a  message  ordering  the  occupation  of  Havana  by  our 
forces,  and  directed  me  to  send  it  by  wireless  at  once. 
When  I  tried  to  do  so  I  found  the  big  wireless  station 
on  Cape  Cod  sending  out  broadcast  over  the  ocean  cur 
rent  news  items,  such  as  the  result  of  baseball  games 
and  the  like.  Our  operator  requested  them  to  close 
down  their  machine  for  a  few  minutes,  as  we  had  an  im 
portant  message  to  send  for  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  Their  instrument  was  so  powerful  that  ours 
could  not  be  used  while  theirs  was  in  operation.  The 
answer  to  my  request  came  very  promptly,  and  was  in 

about  the  following  words:  "  Ha,  ha!  Go  to !  " 

Fortunately,  I  had  a  torpedo  boat  ready,  and  she  took 
the  message  full  speed  to  Provincetown  and  put  it  on 
the  wires  of  the  Western  Union  Company.  Unless 
some  steps  are  taken  by  the  government  by  which  we 
can  control  wireless  stations  in  time  of  war,  serious 
trouble  will  undoubtedly  follow. 

It  so  happened  that  I  had  been  president  of  the  in 
terdepartmental  board  of  officers  ordered  by  the  Presi- 

376 


The  President's  Visit 

dent  to  consider  the  subject  of  wireless  telegraphy. 
After  quite  a  full  discussion  of  the  subject,  and  foresee 
ing  the  difficulties  that  would  follow  the  installation  of 
numerous  commercial  stations  on  the  coast,  the  board 
in  its  report  recommended  that  the  government  should 
own  and  operate  all  the  coast  stations,  and  that  this  duty 
should  be  assigned  to  the  equipment  bureau  of  the 
Navy  Department.  The  report  was  approved  by  the 
President,  but  no  orders  were  issued  on  the  subject,  and 
commercial  wireless  stations  were  erected  at  various 
points  along  the  coast.  These  were  so  powerful  that 
our  instruments  on  board  ship  were  unable  to  send  mes 
sages  while  they  were  operating.  This  had  caused 
much  trouble  in  our  cruising  along  the  coast,  and  I  was 
glad  the  President  should  have  a  practical  illustration 
of  how  annoying  it  was.  I  hoped  he  would  find  a 
remedy  and  apply  it,  but  so  far  it  has  not  been  done. 

The  President  witnessed  the  firing  from  the  bridge 
of  the  Maine,  and  showed  great  enthusiasm  as  shell 
after  shell  went  tearing  through  the  target.  His  pres 
ence  was  an  incentive  to  officers  and  men,  and  his 
hearty  words  of  praise  did  them  a  world  of  good.  His 
visit  to  the  fleet  on  this  occasion,  as  on  several  others, 
was  of  the  greatest  value.  It  indicated  to  all  of  us  the 
great  personal  interest  he  took  in  the  navy,  and  thus 
greatly  encouraged  all  to  work  for  efficiency. 

When  I  took  command  of  the  squadron  I  found 
much  complaint  of  the  food  served  to  the  crews.  The 
newspapers  frequently  contained  growls  from  the  men 
on  the  subject,  which  did  us  no  good  in  the  public  esti 
mation.  After  a  careful  investigation  I  was  satisfied 
that  there  was  ground  for  complaint,  but  no  possible 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

excuse  for  the  way  it  was  made.  An  order  was  issued 
directing  the  men  to  send  their  complaints  to  me 
through  their  commanding  officers,  as  required  by 
regulations,  and  at  the  same  time  all  commissary  offi 
cers  were  required  to  send  me,  through  proper  chan 
nels,  a  bill  of  fare  covering  the  week  following  its  prep 
aration,  showing  just  what  the  men  were  to  have  for 
each  meal.  This  was  approved  by  the  captain  and  then 
sent  to  the  paymaster  of  the  fleet,  who  looked  it  over 
and  sent  it  to  me.  After  I  had  examined  it  and  it  had 
received  my  approval  it  was  returned  to  the  captain  of 
the  ship  to  be  carried  out. 

This  was  well  enough,  so  far  as  it  went,  but  it  was 
necessary  to  see  that  my  orders  on  the  subject  were 
carried  out.  To  be  sure  of  this,  I  left  the  flagship  with 
the  officers  of  my  staff,  pulled  to  one  of  the  battleships, 
and  directed  the  captain  to  have  a  table  spread  on  the 
mess  deck  among  the  crew,  that  we  might  dine  with  the 
men.  At  the  same  time  I  invited  him  and  the  commis 
sary  officer  to  join  us.  The  table  was  spread  exactly  as 
were  those  for  the  men,  and  the  food  served  us  was  the 
same.  I  did  not  permit  any  variation  whatever,  and  in 
this  way  I  knew  just  what  the  men  had  to  eat,  how  it 
was  served,  etc.  This  custom  once  established,  I  heard 
no  more  complaints  about  the  food.  No  one  knew 
when  I  was  likely  to  happen  in  for  dinner,  as  I  never 
made  signal  that  I  was  coming  until  it  was  about  to  be 
put  on  the  tables,  and  as  I  always  compared  what  was 
served  with  the  approved  bill  of  fare,  commissary  offi 
cers  were  careful  in  their  work.  If  desirable,  I  could 
to-day  tell  just  what  the  men  of  the  Atlantic  Fleet  had 
for  each  meal  from  Hampton  Roads  to  San  Francisco ! 

378 


President  Dines  with  Crew 

When  the  dinner  hour  came  the  day  the  President 
was  with  us  in  Cape  Cod  Bay  I  took  him,  with  my  staff, 
on  board  the  battleship  Missouri,  twenty  minutes  before 
the  meal  was  served,  and  requested  the  captain  to  ar 
range  a  table  for  us  with  the  men.  He  begged  that  we 
would  lunch  with  him,  but,  with  the  approval  of  Mr. 
Roosevelt,  I  insisted  that  we  should  dine  with  the  crew, 
which  we  did.  The  captain  wanted  to  give  us  cut-glass 
tumblers  to  drink  from  and  napkins  from  his  cabin, 
which  I  said  he  might  do,  provided  he  did  the  same  for 
every  man  at  all  the  mess  tables !  We  drank  out  of  the 
same  kind  of  mugs  that  the  men  used,  and  we  did  with 
out  napkins.  We  ate  exactly  the  same  food  that  the  men 
ate,  and  it  was  served  in  exactly  the  same  way  by  one  of 
the  mess  men  who  served  them.  The  meal  was  an  ex 
cellent  one,  much  enjoyed  by  all  of  us,  and  when  it  was 
over  a  petty  officer  came  forward  with  a  box  of  cigars 
and  said :  "  The  crew  of  the  Missouri  beg  that  you  will 
have  a  smoke  with  them ! "  I  afterwards  found  that 
this  custom  of  dining  with  the  men  occasionally  had  a 
most  desirable  effect  in  more  ways  than  one. 

After  two  months  of  trying  work  in  Cape  Cod  Bay 
the  ships  were  sent  to  different  ports  and  leave  given  to 
the  crews.  Many  officers  were  changed  and  new  men 
taken  in  the  places  of  those  whose  time  had  expired. 
About  half  the  gun  pointers  who  had  done  such  excel 
lent  work  on  the  targets  left  us,  and  new  ones  had  to 
be  educated.  Officers  who  had  never  served  in  squad 
ron,  from  captains  down  to  the  junior  grades,  reported 
for  duty,  and  thus,  with  practically  new  crews,  we  left 
Hampton  Roads  for  our  winter's  work  in  the  West 
Indies.  It  was  the  same  old  story  of  beginning  at  the 

379 


An  Admiral's  Log 

preliminary  stage  again  and  then  working  up.  In  one 
respect,  however,  we  were  in  better  condition  than  ever 
before — our  gun  sights  were  at  last  satisfactory. 

Our  work  at  Guantanamo  was  a  repetition  of  that 
of  previous  years,  but  of  course  on  a  larger  scale,  as  the 
number  of  ships  had  been  increased  by  the  addition  of 
four  new  battleships.  The  division  of  cruisers,  under 
Admiral  Brownson,  had  gone  to  the  East,  and  had  been 
replaced  by  a  division  of  battleships  under  Rear- Ad 
miral  Emory.  The  fleet  thus  organised  was  composed 
of  sixteen  battleships  and  one  tender,  the  Yankton, 
without  any  cruisers.  The  change  from  squadron  to 
fleet  organisation  imposed  severe  work  on  the  officers 
of  the  staff,  but  it  was  done  with  thoroughness  and 
despatch. 

In  addition  to  our  other  work,  we  were  now  called 
upon  to  prepare  for  the  Jamestown  Exposition,  at  which 
we  were  to  play  a  leading  part.  The  officials  of  this 
Exposition  had  invited,  through  the  Department  of 
State,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  the  Department  of 
State  had,  at  the  request  of  the  Exposition  officials,  in 
vited  foreign  governments  to  send  their  fleets  to  Hamp 
ton  Roads  to  take  part  in  the  opening  ceremonies  of  the 
Exposition.  All  these  foreign  officers  thus  became  the 
guests  of  the  United  States,  and  the  Atlantic  Fleet  was 
to  see  to  it  that  they  were  properly  entertained.  This, 
of  course,  we  knew  how  to  do,  and  felt  confident  of  suc 
cess,  as  Congress  had  appropriated  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  "  for  entertaining  foreign 
officers."  They  forgot,  apparently,  about  the  people  of 
the  United  States  who  would  have  to  be  entertained  at 
the  same  time  and  place,  for  no  mention  was  made  of 

380 


The  Jamestown  Exposition 

them,  and  the  officers  of  the  fleet  entertained  them,  and, 
as  usual,  paid  the  bills  out  of  their  own  pockets. 

As  I  have  stated,  we  knew  how  to  entertain  foreign 
officers,  for  we  had  been  doing  that  at  intervals  all  our 
lives,  but  when  the  order  came  that  we  were  to  make  a 
success  of  the  Jamestown  Exposition  we  had  to  face  an 
entirely  new  line  of  business  in  which  none  of  us  had 
had  previous  experience.  We  were  ready,  however,  as 
we  always  are,  to  do  our  best  to  carry  out  our  orders, 
and,  as  we  were  anxious  for  its  success,  we  entered 
heart  and  soul  into  our  new  work  of  assisting  the  Expo 
sition. 

My  orders  were  to  arrive  with  the  fleet  at  Hampton 
Roads  on  May  I5th,  and  when  our  work  off  Cape  Cruz 
had  been  completed  I  sailed  for  the  north,  and  anchored 
in  the  Roads  at  2  P.M.  of  the  day  stated.  On  the  way 
up  from  Guantanamo  I  used  every  available  hour  to 
whip  the  new  ships  into  shape.  They  had  reported  to 
me,  one  after  another,  and  this  was  my  only  chance 
to  give  them  any  fleet  drill  before  taking  them  to  their 
anchorage.  South  of  Hatteras  we  had  a  bit  of  a  blow, 
which  gave  us  all  a  chance  to  see  how  well  the  new  ones 
behaved  in  a  heavy  head  sea.  They  were  wet,  of  course, 
as  we  expected  them  to  be,  but  I  was  satisfied  that  even 
in  much  worse  weather  than  we  experienced  they  could 
have  used  their  heavy  guns  with  effect. 

Upon  arrival  I  moored  the  vessels  of  the  fleet  in 
single  column,  extending  from  a  point  off  Fort  Monroe 
three  miles  toward  Newport  News.  The  president  of 
the  Exposition  company,  with  a  committee  of  much  be- 
ribboned  gentlemen,  called  on  me  at  once,  congratulated 
me  on  the  appearance  of  the  fleet,  and  gave  me  a  glow- 

381 


An  Admiral's  Log 

ing  account  of  the  state  of  readiness  for  the  opening- 
day  exercises.  Incidentally  they  told  me  what  my  part 
in  the  matter  was  to  be,  or  rather  they  started  to  do  so, 
when  I  saved  them  time  and  trouble  by  telling  them 
that  I  was  quite  well  posted  on  that  part  of  the  pro 
gramme.  If  talk  could  have  made  a  success  of  the 
much-heralded  Exposition,  certainly  these  charming, 
fluent  gentlemen  of  Virginia  had  the  talk  on  tap.  A 
glance  at  Sewell's  Point  through  a  powerful  glass  con 
vinced  me  that  there  had  been  more  talk  than  work, 
and  that  it  would  require  the  best  efforts  of  all  parties 
to  make  anything  but  a  dismal  failure  of  the  opening 
exercises. 

Captain  Pillsbury,  my  chief  of  staff,  had  prepared  a 
chart  of  Hampton  Roads  showing  the  anchorages  as 
signed  to  all  the  vessels  which  were  expected  to  be  pres 
ent,  and  this  had  been  printed  by  the  Navy  Department 
and  was  ready  for  distribution.  Lieutenant-Com 
mander  Lloyd  Chandler,  an  officer  of  exceptional  abil 
ity,  had  been  ordered  to  my  personal  staff  to  relieve 
Lieutenant-Commander  Brittain,  whose  term  of  sea 
service  had  expired.  Mr.  Chandler  had  commanded  the 
flotilla  of  torpedo-boat  destroyers  sent  to  the  East,  was 
an  expert  in  all  torpedo  work,  and  in  his  long  and  faith 
ful  service  as  my  aide  and  secretary  proved  himself  a 
loyal  friend,  as  well  as  an  officer  of  marked  ability  in  all 
branches  of  his  profession.  To  him  was  given  the  im 
portant  duty  of  piloting  all  foreign  ships  to  their  posi 
tions  and  seeing  them  properly  moored.  This  was  in 
addition  to  his  regular  duties  on  my  staff,  and  if  any 
one  worked  harder  than  he  I  can't  imagine  who  it  was. 
A  torpedo  boat  was  always  ready  for  him,  and  in  her 

382 


Arrival  of  Foreign  Ships 

he  spent  much  of  his  time  waiting  off  Cape  Henry  for 
the  arrival  of  the  foreign  ships.  As  they  came  he 
boarded  each,  in  company  with  the  pilot,  and  either  ex 
plained  exactly  where  they  were  to  moor  or  else  came 
in  with  them  and  remained  on  board  until  they  were 
properly  secured. 

All  the  visiting  ships  had  arrived  several  days  before 
the  date  fixed  for  the  opening  of  the  Exposition,  and 
the  combined  fleet  made  a  fine  appearance,  stretching 
in  two  long  lines  up  the  beautiful  harbour.  Our  own 
fleet,  composed  of  sixteen  battleships  and  four  armoured 
cruisers,  was  the  strongest  naval  force  ever  assembled 
in  Hampton  Roads.  Of  the  foreign  ships,  the  English 
were  the  most  imposing  in  number,  but  the  others  were 
all  of  the  latest  design  in  their  respective  classes.  All 
of  them,  without  exception,  were  in  the  pink  of  condi 
tion,  reflecting  great  credit  on  their  officers  and  men. 

As  the  time  approached  for  the  opening  ceremonies, 
the  detail  of  landing  parties  to  march  in  the  parade  and 
be  reviewed  by  the  President  was  worked  out  in  every 
particular.  The  precedence  of  each  was  stated,  the 
number  of  officers  and  men  to  land  from  each  foreign 
ship  wras  given,  and  a  diagram  published  showing  just 
where  the  force  of  each  nation  would  be  found  on 
shore,  so  that  the  curious  observers  might  easily  recog 
nise  them.  When  all  this  had  been  done,  I  visited  the 
Exposition  grounds  to  inspect  the  facilities  for  landing 
such  a  large  number  of  men,  and  to  my  dismay  found 
that  the  landing  stages  had  been  only  projected,  like 
many  other  things  that  had  been  promised  and  fluently 
talked  about,  but  that  was  all.  We  did  not  officially 
object  to  landing  our  own  officers  and  men  on  the  open 

383 


An  Admiral's  Log 

shore  in  the  mud  and  sand  and  having  them  pass  before 
the  President  wet  to  their  waists,  although  we  did  not 
like  such  a  performance,  but  I  did  object  to  asking  our 
guests  to  do  so.  I  therefore  sent  notice  to  the  Exposi 
tion  officials  that  unless  the  landing  stages  were  in 
place,  completed,  the  day  before  the  opening,  I  would 
notify  all  foreign  officers  that  their  men  would  not  be 
expected  to  land.  This  had  some  effect,  no  doubt,  and 
all  the  bluejackets  except  our  own  reached  the  parade 
ground  with  dry  feet. 

General  F.  D.  Grant,  of  the  United  States  army, 
had  been  sent  to  Fortress  Monroe  to  represent  the  War 
Department  and  to  do  the  shore  part  of  the  entertain 
ing.  He  established  his  headquarters  at  the  Chamber- 
lin  Hotel,  from  which  point,  through  his  aides,  he  kept 
in  touch  with  what  was  taking  place  on  the  water.  It 
was  arranged  that  I  should  land  the  President  and  his 
distinguished  party  at  the  Exposition  grounds,  and  that 
then  the  general  and  I  would  personally  accompany  the 
Executive  to  the  stand  from  which  he  was  to  deliver  his 
address,  to  remain  with  him  until  after  the  troops  had 
passed  in  review,  when  I  was  to  see  that  he  was  safely 
returned  to  the  Mayflower. 

When  the  President  arrived  and  had  reviewed  the 
fleet,  I  took  him  and  his  party  ashore  in  my  barge,  prop 
erly  protected  by  an  escort  of  steam  launches.  All  the 
bluejackets  had  been  landed  and  were  in  their  places. 
At  eleven  o'clock,  the  hour  set,  I  delivered  Mr.  Roose 
velt  to  General  Grant  on  the  landing  at  the  Exposition 
grounds — eleven  o'clock  exactly,  not  one  second  before 
or  one  second  after.  Much  to  our  surprise,  the  Presi 
dent  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt  were  placed  in  a  vehicle 

384 


Late  for  Ceremonies 

together,  and  with  them  some  of  the  officials  of  the  Ex 
position.  When  they  had  driven  away  between  the 
ranks  of  saluting  soldiers,  more  vehicles  came,  which 
were  instantly  filled  by  distinguished-looking  commit- 
teemen  in  immaculate  Prince  Albert  suits  and  the  latest 
cut  of  gafftopsail  hats.  After  considerable  delay,  Gen 
eral  Grant  and  I  were  pushed  up  into  the  seats  of  a 
very  high  trap  of  some  sort,  and  the  driver  was  re 
quested  to  get  on  as  fast  as  he  could,  that  we  might 
regain  our  proper  post  next  to  the  President.  The 
driver,  a  fine  specimen  of  the  coloured  race,  cracked  his 
whip  and  the  horses  started,  but  not  so  the  trap;  that 
remained  stationary  in  the  deep,  loose  sand.  "  This 
here  trace  done  bust !  "  said  the  driver.  A  glance  at 
the  harness,  which  had  been  tied  up  with  rope,  showed 
that  it  had  "  busted,"  and  there  was  nothing  left  for  us 
but  to  climb  down  from  our  lofty  perch  and  find  some 
other  vehicle  in  which  to  cross  the  six  or  eight  hundred 
yards  of  sand.  Our  second  effort  was  in  a  Norfolk 
"  hack,"  in  which,  by  the  aid  of  a  friendly  army  officer 
and  some  soldiers,  who  thumped  the  horses  in  the  ribs 
with  the  butt  ends  of  their  muskets,  we  progressed 
about  two  hundred  yards,  when  we  were  stopped  by 
the  crowd  which  had  passed  the  lines  of  soldiers  and 
filled  the  space  between  us  and  the  reviewing  stand. 
There  was  nothing  for  it  now  but  to  walk,  which  we 
did,  escorted  by  two  sympathising  committeemen.  The 
crowd  of  tide-water  Virginians  was  good-humoured, 
fortunately,  and  helped  us  along  as  best  they  could,  but 
we  were  quite  half  an  hour  late  when  we  arrived  in 
front  of  the  stand,  where  the  Bishop  of  Virginia  was 
delivering  his  eloquent  prayer.  The  general  and  I 

385 


An  Admiral's  Log 

stood  bareheaded  in  the  blazing  sun,  with  the  perspira 
tion  pouring  down  on  the  fronts  of  our  full-dress  coats, 
and  were  glad  when  the  prayer  was  ended  and  we  could 
find  cover  in  the  shade,  where  a  vast  concourse  of  dis 
tinguished  men  of  all  nations  waited  to  hear  what  the 
President  would  say  in  his  opening  address.  By  some 
mistake,  enough  seats  for  the  members  of  the  various 
committees  had  not  been  provided,  and  to  correct  this 
camp  chairs  were  passed  up  and  placed  in  the  spaces  set 
aside  for  the  President  and  his  party.  The  chairs  be 
came  so  thick  after  a  while  that  one  could  neither  stand 
up  nor  sit  down  with  comfort,  and  before  the  opening 
address  could  be  delivered  they  had  to  be  removed, 
which  was  done  with  difficulty  and  required  much  time. 
The  President  finally  delivered  his  address,  which  was 
received  with  enthusiastic  applause  by  the  crowd,  and 
afterwards  caused  much  comment  throughout  the 
country. 

At  a  late  hour  in  the  afternoon  I  took  the  President 
and  his  party  back  to  the  Mayflower,  and  that  night 
had  the  honour  of  meeting  him  at  a  beautiful  dinner 
given  by  the  president  of  the  Exposition  company  in 
Norfolk.  One  of  the  foreign  ambassadors  expressed, 
in  a  few  words,  what  I  think  we  all  felt  about  the  open 
ing  day.  I  congratulated  him  on  having  stood  the 
fatigue  so  well.  His  reply  was,  "  Yes,  I  am  alive,  but 
only  because,  as  a  cat,  I  have  nine  lives !  "  It  certainly 
was  a  trying  day,  but  a  most  successful  one  for  the 
Exposition,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  they  were  anything 
but  ready  for  such  a  ceremony.  The  government  did 
all  it  had  promised  to  do  or  could  have  been  expected 
to  do.  The  foreign  ships  were  in  the  Roads,  and  their 

386 


Continuous  Entertainments 

crews  marched  in  the  parade;  the  West  Point  cadets 
were  camped  in  the  Exposition  grounds  with  other,  reg 
ular  troops;  the  midshipmen  from  Annapolis  were 
landed  from  the  practice  ship's  to  take  part  in  the 
parade ;  and  a  naval  brigade  of  five  thousand  men  from 
the  American  fleet,  the  smartest-looking  body  of  men  I 
ever  saw,  marched  past  the  reviewing  stand.  In  a 
word,  as  I  have  said,  the  government  part  of  the  job 
was  perfectly  done.  In  the  evening  the  assembled  fleets 
were  electrically  illuminated,  as  were  the  grounds  and 
buildings  of  the  Exposition.  As  we  returned  to  the 
Roads  from  the  dinner  in  Norfolk,  just  before  mid 
night,  the  scene  was  one  of  exquisite  beauty. 

Day  after  day,  week  after  week,  and  month  after 
month  the  ships  of  the  Atlantic  Fleet  swung  at  their  an 
chors  in  Hampton  Roads,  while  officers  and  men  de 
voted  their  time  and  their  money  to  make  a  success  of 
the  Jamestown  Exposition,  as  they  were  ordered  to  do. 
A  detail  of  officers  escorted  the  foreign  officers  to 
Washington,  showed  them  the  interesting  sights  of  the 
city,  and  returned  them  to  their  ships,  while  the  blue 
jackets  were  landed  on  all  important  occasions  for 
parades  and  reviews.  Each  day  saw  an  entertainment 
of  some  kind  on  one  or  more  of  the  American  ships, 
and  details  of  officers  were  hurriedly  sent  to  various 
points  on  shore  in  response  to  belated  invitations  to 
dance  and  make  merry  for  the  benefit  of  the  Exposi 
tion.  We  did  everything  that  could  have  been  reason 
ably  expected  of  us,  because,  in  the  first  place,  we  were 
ordered  to  do  so,  and,  in  the  second,  because  we  wanted 
the  Exposition  to  prove  a  success. 

Congress  had  appropriated  a  generous  sum  for  the 

387 


An  Admiral's  Log 

entertainment  of  foreign  officers,  but,  curiously  enough, 
had  made  no  provision  for  our  own  people.  It  may  be 
truly  said  that  our  people  were  the  guests  of  the  Expo 
sition,  while  the  foreigners  were  the  guests  of  the  na 
tion,  and  for  this  reason  one  class  was  entertained  by 
the  government  and  the  other  by  the  Exposition  com 
pany.  All  foreign  officers  were  sent  to  Washington  in 
parties,  escorted  by  a  suitable  number  of  our  own,  and 
when  they  had  seen  what  could  be  shown  them  they  were 
returned  to  their  ships,  and  all  expenses  paid  by  the 
government.  But  for  the  thousands  of  our  own  people 
who  visited  the  ships  from  day  to  day  no  provision  was 
made,  and  the  cost  of  entertaining  them  fell  upon  the 
officers,  many  of  whom  could  ill  afford  the  expense  this 
entailed. 

During  the  stay  of  the  foreign  ships  a  series  of  din 
ners  was  given  on  board  the  Connecticut,  my  flagship, 
until  all  the  ranking  officers  had  been  dined.  At  the 
same  time  the  junior  officers  of  the  visiting  ships  were 
entertained  by  those  of  corresponding  rank  in  our  ships, 
so  that  every  officer,  no  matter  of  what  rank,  received 
the  hospitality  of  the  government  through  the  officers 
of  the  American  fleet.  The  expense  for  all  this  enter 
tainment,  as  well  as  the  trip  to  Washington,  was  paid 
by  the  paymaster  of  the  fleet  on  the  presentation  of 
properly  prepared  vouchers,  just  as  any  other  public 
bill  was  paid,  which  was  in  every  way  proper  and  just. 
But  Congress  in  its  wisdom  had  failed  to  make  any 
provision  for  the  entertainment  of  our  own  people,  and 
for  this  we  had  to  pay  out  of  our  own  pockets,  which 
was  a  hardship  to  many  young  officers  who  had  no  in 
come  beyond  their  salaries. 


Duke  of  Abruzzi's  Reception 

The  foreign  ships  in  turn  gave  beautiful  receptions 
and  entertainments,  but  these  were  government  affairs, 
paid  for  with  public  funds.  The  officers  were  not  called 
upon  to  pay  for  what  their  governments  were  doing. 
Officers  of  the  Exposition  and  other  distinguished 
Americans  could  be,  and  were,  entertained  by  these 
foreign  officers  as  guests  of  their  respective  govern 
ments,  and  the  bills  paid  as  were  other  public  bills. 
The  senior  officer  of  the  Italian  squadron,  the  Duke 
of  Abruzzi,  gave  a  fine  reception  with  unfortunate  re 
sults.  How  he  prepared  his  list  of  invitations  was  not 
made  known  to  me;  I  was  only  aware  by  the  great 
crowd  on  board  that  it  was  a  very  general  one.  His 
cabin  and  the  quarters  of  the  ward-room  officers  were 
assigned  as  dressing-rooms  for  the  ladies,  and  were 
crowded  for  several  hours.  When  the  guests  had  de 
parted  it  was  found  that  about  everything  movable  had 
gone  with  them — jewelry,  combs  and  brushes,  and  the 
insignia  of  rank  from  the  officers'  uniforms  had  van 
ished  in  the  pockets  of  the  souvenir  hunters  who  are  al 
ways  on  hand  at  such  times.  Many  articles  of  value 
bearing  the  coat  of  arms  of  the  Duke  disappeared  in  this 
way.  Most  of  them  were,  however,  returned  when  the 
newspapers  of  the  country  had  expressed  their  views  of 
this  style  of  robbery.  We  had  had  our  experience  with 
these  souvenir  hunters  in  past  years  and  took  precau 
tions  against  them. 

The  visiting  ships  took  part  eagerly  with  our  men 
in  all  the  sports  arranged  by  the  Exposition  officials. 
The  English  and  Italians  won  cups  or  medals  and  the 
former,  with  a  fine  crew  from  the  Argyle,  won  the  con 
test  for  the  Battenberg  Cup,  and  the  name  of  that  ship 
26  389 


An  Admiral's  Log 

was  engraved  on  the  beautiful  trophy.  The  American 
officers  won  handily  from  all  competitors,  and  in  the 
sailing  races  the  honours  remained  with  our  men.  In 
the  boxing  bouts,  sixteen  of  which  were  held  on  the 
flagship  Connecticut,  between  our  men  and  representa 
tives  from  the  English  ships,  only  one  of  the  visitors 
was  declared  the  winner. 

When  the  time  finally  came  for  the  foreign  ships  to 
leave  the  Roads,  we  parted  with  them  with  great  regret. 
Many  friendships  had  been  formed  which,  I  trust,  will 
be  lasting  and  tend  to  the  preservation  of  peace  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth,  which  we  all  sincerely  hope  for. 

During  the  time  we  had  been  anchored  in  Hampton 
Roads  the  men  had  been  granted  liberty  as  often  as 
they  could  be  spared  from  duty,  but  there  was  so  much 
to  be  done  that  they  had  not  seen  much  of  the  shore 
except  when  marching  in  parade.  I  therefore  sent  the 
ships  to  New  York  by  divisions  and  sent  the  men  on 
leave  from  that  port.  This  called  forth  a  protest  from 
some  of  the  Exposition  people,  but  the  Department 
upheld  me  in  my  action.  I  again  incurred  the  ill-will 
of  the  same  parties  when  I  sent  the  divisions  to  sea  one 
after  another  for  a  few  days'  practice.  The  long  stay 
in  port,  with  the  constant  stream  of  visitors  on  board 
from  morning  till  night,  had  a  demoralising  effect  on  the 
crews,  particularly  on  those  of  the  new  ships  just  com 
missioned.  It  was  only  natural  that  they  should  think 
that  naval  life  was  all  like  what  they  were  seeing  while 
at  anchor,  which  consisted  in  showing  visitors  over  the 
ship,  coaling  ship,  and  running  boats.  It  was  essential, 
in  my  judgment,  that  some  real  sea  work  should  be 
done,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  four  battleships  and 

390 


A  Welcome  Relief 

four  cruisers  were  enough  to  remain  at  anchor  as  show 
ships  while  the  others  exercised  outside,  off  Cape 
Henry.  In  this  I  was,  of  course,  opposed  by  the  Expo 
sition  officials,  but  I  was  again  supported  by  the  Navy 
Department.  I  regretted  that  my  action  should  call 
down  on  my  head  so  much  unmerited  disapproval  from 
the  press,  but  an  officer  often  has  to  put  up  with  that 
kind  of  treatment  if  he  allows  his  sense  of  duty  to  inter 
fere  with  the  designs  of  those  outside  the  service  who 
differ  with  him,  and  in  some  cases  wish  to  use  him. 

The  time  finally  came  when  the  Exposition  closed, 
and  candour  compels  me  to  say  that  every  officer  and 
man  in  the  American  fleet  was  glad  when  the  flags  came 
down  and  the  gates  were  closed.  We  felt  that,  while 
we  had  done  all  in  our  power  for  its  success,  we  had 
been  associated,  from  the  opening  day,  with  a  failure. 
Our  efforts  had  been  appreciated  by  the  visitors,  but 
not  by  the  officials,  and  we  were  glad  to  the  bottom  of 
our  hearts  when  we  could  weigh  anchor  and  find  more 
congenial  work  out  on  blue  water. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

;,         PREPARING   FOR   THE   PACIFIC   CRUISE 

SOME  time  during  the  summer,  I  think  in  the 
month  of  June,  a  leading  New  York  newspaper  pub 
lished,  under  glaring  headlines,  a  statement  that  the 
President  had  decided  to  send  the  Atlantic  Fleet  to  San 
Francisco.  The  following  day  another  leading  paper 
denied  this,  and  then  the  press  of  the  country  divided 
and  a  merry  newspaper  war  followed.  One  side  held 
that  the  President,  in  view  of  the  friction  on  the  Pacific 
coast  over  the  school  question  with  Japan,  would  not 
dare  make  such  a  move ;  that  it  would  mean  immediate 
war  with  Japan.  The  other  side  held  that  the  Presi 
dent  wanted  war  with  Japan,  and  accused  him  of  using 
this  method  of  bringing  it  about,  and  that  if  the  fleet 
sailed  with  the  west  coast  as  its  objective,  war  would 
follow  before  we  reached  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  At 
first  I  placed  little  importance  on  these  stories,  because 
I  felt  that  if  such  a  movement  of  the  fleet  was  in  con 
templation  I  should  naturally  be  one  of  the  first  to 
know  of  it,  but  as  time  passed  I  was  convinced  that 
where  there  was  so  much  smoke  there  must  be  some 
fire. 

In  due  time  I  was  sent  for,  and  on  reporting  at  the 
Navy  Department  was  informed  in  confidence  that  the 
fleet  was  to  sail  for  the  Pacific  when  the  annual  target 

392 


Mr.  Metcalfs  Announcement 

practice  had  been  completed,  and  that  I  was  to  make 
such  preparation  as  could  be  made  without  disclosing 
its  destination.  I  had  spent  many  days  and  nights  over 
a  schedule  of  drills  for  the  fall  and  winter,  but  now  I 
must  destroy  that  and  work  out  a  new  one. 

The  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation,  Rear-Ad 
miral  Converse,  was  relieved  at  this  time  by  Rear- 
Admiral  Brownson,  a  warm  personal  friend  of  the 
President,  who,  although  about  to  go  onto  the  retired 
list,  was  called  home  from  command  in  China  to  fill 
this  important  office.  At  the  same  time  my  chief  of 
staff,  Captain  J.  E.  Pillsbury,  who  had  done  such  ad 
mirable  work  in  the  fleet,  was  relieved,  and  my  old 
friend,  Captain  R.  R.  Ingersoll,  ordered  in  his  place. 
Other  changes  in  my  staff  took  place,  so  that  I  found 
myself  on  the  eve  of  a  long  cruise  with  many  new 
faces  about  me. 

The  newspaper  war  was  brought  to  a  close  on  July 
4th,  when  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Mr.  Metcalf,  an 
nounced  in  a  public  speech  at  Oakland,  Cal.,  that  the 
fleet  would  come  to  San  Francisco  at  an  early  date.  The 
press  of  the  country  again  divided,  this  time  as  to  the 
propriety  of  the  proposed  movement  of  the  fleet.  One 
side  held  that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  do,  and  the 
other  was  equally  sure  that  it  would  inevitably  cause  war 
with  Japan.  Some  went  so  far  as  to  demand  that  Con 
gress  should  so  arrange  the  naval  appropriations  that 
the  President  would  be  unable  to  carry  out  his  scheme. 
Many  influential  papers  seemed  to  me  unaccountably 
ignorant  of  the  fact  that,  when  Mr.  Roosevelt  made  up 
his  mind  to  do  a  thing  that  he  thought  right  to  do,  nei 
ther  newspaper  abuse  nor  congressional  action  would 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

prevent  him  from  doing  it.  Monkeying  with  a  buzz 
saw  is  always  of  doubtful  propriety,  and  that  was  pre 
cisely  what  these  opposition  newspapers  were  doing. 
If  they  had  sought  a  means  of  sending  the  Atlantic 
Fleet  to  the  Pacific,  they  could  not  have  found  a  surer 
one. 

During  the  month  of  August,  while  exercising  a 
squadron  off  Cape  Henry,  I  received  telegraphic  orders 
to  proceed  to  Oyster  Bay  and  report  to  the  President, 
which  I  did  as  quickly  as  railroad  trains  could  take  me 
there.  I  found  Mr.  Newberry,  Acting  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  and  Admiral  Brownson  in  consultation  with  the 
President.  The  whole  subject  of  the  cruise  to  the 
Pacific  was  thoroughly  gone  over  by  Mr.  Roosevelt, 
who  impressed  upon  us  many  times  that  the  cruise  was 
to  be  a  peaceful  one,  solely  for  the  benefit  of  officers 
and  men,  but  at  the  same  time  he  made  it  plain  that  cir 
cumstances  might  arise  which  would  change  this  condi 
tion  into  one  more  serious.  The  strength  of  various 
naval  forces  was  discussed  and  compared  with  ours, 
and  after  three  hours'  talk  I  was  directed  to  have  the 
fleet  in  readiness  to  sail  from  Fortress  Monroe  on  De 
cember  1 6th.  I  was  asked  if  I  considered  it  desirable 
that  the  six  destroyers  should  make  the  trip  at  the  same 
time  with  the  battleships,  to  which  I  replied  that  I  was 
strongly  of  the  opinion  that  they  should ;  and  it  was  so 
ordered.  I  also  declared  my  opinion  that  the  ships 
should  proceed  to  the  west  coast  via  the  Straits  of 
Magellan  rather  than  through  the  Suez  Canal,  to  which 
the  President  gave  his  assent.  My  opinion  was  neither 
asked  nor  given  on  any  other  points ;  there  was  no  rea 
son  why  it  should  have  been.  The  question  of  where 

394 


Oyster  Bay  Conference 

the  fleet  should  go,  or  what  it  should  do  when  it  ar 
rived,  were  questions  for  the  President  and  his  advisers 
to  settle.  My  business  was  to  see  that  the  ships  were 
ready  to  sail  when  ordered  to  do  so  and  to  conduct 
them  safely  to  their  destination. 

After  the  Oyster  Bay  conference  I  returned  at  once 
to  my  flagship  in  Hampton  Roads.  The  Exposition 
had  not  yet  closed,  and  I  had  to  await  that  event  before 
I  could  move  all  the  ships  at  the  same  time.  Of  the  six 
teen  battleships  composing  the  Atlantic  Fleet,  ten  were 
new.  Six  of  these  had  not  yet  completed  their  bat 
teries,  and  two  were  not  in  all  respects  finished  by  the 
contractors.  As  a  fleet  the  whole  number  of  ships  had 
never  been  under  way  together  and  had  never  per 
formed  a  single  evolution  at  sea.  To  start  on  a  cruise 
of  fourteen  thousand  miles  with  a  fleet  in  this  condition 
was  out  of  the  question,  and  I  made  my  plans  to  give 
them  as  much  preliminary  drill  as  might  be  possible  be 
fore  going  to  Cape  Cod  Bay  for  the  target  practice 
which  had  been  ordered  to  be  completed  before  we 
sailed. 

I  was  somewhat  hampered  by  the  expressed  desire 
of  the  Department  that  we  should  practice  battle  tactics 
instead  of  doing  the  preliminary  work  I  had  laid  out. 
Some  very  influential  newspapers  were  demanding  that 
we  should  divide  the  fleet  into  two  squadrons  and  pit 
them  against  each  other  as  though  actually  engaged  in 
battle.  This  was  done  by  the  press,  I  suppose,  with  the 
best  intentions,  but  without  due  consideration  of  the 
state  of  readiness  of  the  new  ships  for  such  work.  As 
has  always  been  my  custom,  I  gave  my  opinion  fully 
when  it  was  asked,  and  then  did  as  I  was  told. 

395 


An  Admiral's  Log 

The  day  the  Exposition  closed  I  went  to  sea  witK 
the  fleet,  and  for  three  days  drilled  as  a  fleet.  Then 
the  two  squadrons,  commanded  by  flag  officers, 
manoeuvred  against  each  other,  and  during  this  work 
the  conditions  were  made  as  like  those  of  actual 
war  as  they  could  be.  A  large  number  of  officers  had 
come  from  Washington,  Annapolis,  and  the  War  Col 
lege  to  witness  the  battle  practice,  and  I  am  sure  most 
of  them  were  convinced  not  only  of  the  folly,  but  of  the 
actual  danger  to  the  ships  of  undertaking  such  evolu 
tions  without  proper  and  systematic  preliminary  work. 
Each  morning  at  daylight  one  squadron  went  to  sea, 
and  when  out  of  sight  the  other  got  under  way 
and  sought  them.  When  sighted,  the  two  squadrons 
manoeuvred  for  position  and  then  engaged  in  battle. 
Umpires  on  each  ship  kept  a  careful  record  of  all  move 
ments,  and  when  a  ship  was  supposed  to  be  disabled  by 
gun  fire  or  torpedoes  she  was  compelled  to  cease  firing 
and  drop  out  of  action.  It  was  practically  the  same 
kind  of  work  we  had  done  in  the  West  Indies,  only 
there  it  was  done  with  thoroughly  drilled  ships,  and 
here  we  were  using  newly  commissioned  ships,  with 
officers  and  men  who  had  never  seen  the  simplest  evo 
lution  performed  by  a  fleet. 

When  the  flag  officers  had  each  commanded  a 
squadron  in  several  engagements,  the  command  was 
turned  over  to  the  captains,  and  they  in  succession  went 
through  the  same  experience.  Much  valuable  informa 
tion  was  gained,  the  most  important  of  which  was  how 
easily  one  ship  could  blanket  the  fire  of  another  when 
not  properly  handled.  It  was  also  plainly  evident  that 
unless  the  captain  could  put  his  ship  where  the  com- 

396 


Preparations  for  the  Pacific 

mander-in-chief  ordered  her  to  go,  and  keep  her  there, 
disaster  was  likely  to  follow,  and  this  ability  to  handle 
the  ship  came  only  after  long  and  careful  drill.  It  was 
impossible  for  newly  commissioned  ships  to  do  it,  and 
it  was  unreasonable  to  expect  them  to. 

All  the  time  possible  was  given  to  this  battle  drill 
off  the  Virginia  Capes,  and  the  fleet  then  proceeded  to 
the  target  range  in  Cape  Cod  Bay.  For  the  first  time 
in  our  service  we  were  to  have  a  real  battle  practice, 
and,  that  it  might  be  as  beneficial  as  possible,  the  guns 
were  first  calibrated.  It  was  also  the  first  time  in  our 
navy  that  guns  had  been  calibrated  either  for  target 
practice  or  for  actual  service. 

Upon  arrival  at  Cape  Cod  Bay,  it  was  considered 
that  the  first  part  of  the  preparation  for  the  cruise  to 
the  Pacific  had  been  completed — at  least  all  the  time 
that  could  be  spared  had  been  given  it.  The  question 
of  battle  target  practice  was  at  once  taken  up,  and  no 
time  was  lost  in  doing  this  most  important  work.  At 
the  last  moment,  much  to  my  regret,  it  was  decided  that 
two  of  the  new  ships  must  go  immediately  to  the  navy 
yards,  as  there  was  barely  time  to  complete  them  before 
the  date  set  for  sailing. 

While  I  was  convinced  tHat  the  cruise  was  to  be  a 
peaceful  one,  I  was  also  perfectly  certain  that  it  might 
at  any  moment  develop  into  a  warlike  one.  Therefore, 
to  start  with  one  or  two  battleships  in  the  fleet  which 
had  never  fired  their  guns,  even  to  test  the  sights,  did 
not  seem  to  me  businesslike,  yet  it  had  to  be  done,  and 
was  done.  It  was  my  job  and  my  responsibility,  ren 
dered  greater  by  many  discouraging  obstacles  and 
handicaps,  to  see  that  this  fleet,  though  on  the  most 

397 


An  Admiral's  Log 

peaceful  mission  possible,  was  ready  to  fight  at  the  drop 
of  a  hat. 

I  find  it  difficult  to  describe  target  practice  in  a  way 
to  be  easily  understood  by  the  layman  without  violating 
the  orders  of  the  Navy  Department  not  to  give  out  in 
formation  on  professional  subjects.  However,  what  I 
shall  write  may  be  found  in  publications  issued  from  the 
Department  and  not  marked  "  confidential/'  and  there 
fore,  I  hope,  not  in  violation  of  the  spirit  of  the  regula 
tions. 

First,  we  have  what  is  called  record  target  practice, 
in  which  a  careful  record  of  each  shot  fired  is  kept  and 
reported  to  the  Department.  This  firing  is  done  in  the 
most  careful  way,  one  gun  only  being  fired  at  a  time, 
except  in  the  case  of  turret  guns,  when  two  of  them 
may  be  fired  at  the  same  time.  The  actual  firing  of  the 
gun  is  done  by  the  gun  pointer,  the  man  who  would  do 
the  firing  in  time  of  war,  under  the  general  charge  of 
the  officer  of  his  gun  division  on  board  the  ship.  Um 
pires  are  appointed  who,  under  the  most  carefully  pre 
pared  rules,  watch  the  loading  and  firing  of  each  gun 
and  note  any  mistakes  that  may  be  made.  This  firing 
is  for  the  purpose  of  rating  the  gun  pointers,  who  re 
ceive  extra  pay  if  they  make  a  certain  percentage  of 
hits  on  the  target.  Having  once  made  this  percentage, 
the  pointer  must,  at  each  succeeding  practice,  maintain 
at  least  his  rate  of  hitting  or  his  extra  pay  is  discon 
tinued.  To  determine  this  important  point  annual 
practice  is  necessary. 

When  the  target,  a  canvas  screen  seventeen  feet 
long  by  twelve  feet  high,  is  spread  on  a  float,  previously 
moored  for  the  purpose,  the  firing  begins.  The  captain 

398 


Target  Practice  Described 

runs  his  ship  over  one  side  of  a  triangle,  so  that  the 
distance  from  the  target  varies  from  about  two  thou 
sand  yards  to  sixteen  hundred  yards  when  at  the  near 
est  point.  A  signal  to  commence  firing  is  given,  and 
each  gun  pointer  is  allowed  to  fire  as  many  shots  as  he 
can  in  a  given  time.  Only  hits  on  the  target  screen  are 
counted.  When  both  gun  pointers  at  a  gun  have  fired, 
or  in  the  case  of  turret  guns  the  pointers  of  two  guns, 
the  ship  leaves  the  range  and  passes  near  the  target,  so 
that  the  result  of  the  firing  may  be  seen  and  the  hits 
recorded.  In  this  way  every  gun  pointer  in  the  ship 
takes  his  turn,  and  the  practice  is  continued  until  every 
gun  in  the  ship  has  been  fired.  Service  smokeless  pow 
der  is  used,  but,  in  order  to  reduce  the  expense  as  much 
as  possible,  special  cast-iron  shells  are  used  instead  of 
the  steel  service  projectile,  which  is  of  much  greater 
cost. 

This  practice,  as  I  have  stated,  is  entirely  for  the 
purpose  of  training  and  testing  the  gun  pointers,  and 
has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  battle  target  practice 
except  to  ensure  the  greatest  possible  percentage  of  hits. 
It  will  be  seen  at  once  that  the  element  of  time  is  here  of 
the  greatest  value ;  the  pointer  making  the  greatest  num 
ber  of  hits  in  the  same  time  is  considered  the  best  shot. 
The  term  "  hits  per  gun  per  minute  "  is  its  official  des 
ignation.  Having  gone  through  with  this  practice  suc 
cessfully,  the  ship  is  eligible  for  battle  target  practice. 

However,  before  this  record  practice  each  ship  must 
have  gone  through  with  preliminary  practice,  in  which 
the  time  element  does  not  count.  Each  pointer  must 
fire  a  certain  number  of  shots,  no  matter  how  long  it 
may  take  him.  This  is  a  proper  test  of  the  guns  and 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

their  mounts,  as  well  as  a  necessary  preparation  for  the 
more  rapid  firing  of  the  record  practice. 

Finally  we  come  to  the  battle  target  practice,  which 
was  held  for  the  first  time  in  this  fleet  in  Cape  Cod  Bay 
during  the  last  weeks  of  September  and  the  first  of 
October,  1907.  The  object  of  this  practice  was  to  see 
what  the  guns  could  do  on  a  target  representing  an 
enemy  found  at  sea  under  war  conditions.  Two  tar 
gets,  each  thirty  feet  by  thirty  feet,  were  moored  to 
gether  in  the  bay,  practically  out  of  sight  of  land,  and 
the  ships  in  turn  sent  out  to  fire  at  them,  using  all  the 
guns  that  would  bear. 

The  range  was  unknown,  and  had  to  be  determined 
by  the  range  finders  of  the  ship,  just  as  they  would  de 
termine  the  range  of  an  enemy's  ship  found  at  sea  in 
time  of  war.  No  firing  was  allowed  inside  a  range  of 
six  thousand  yards,  and  after  the  first  shot  was  fired  the 
distance  from  the  target  was  constantly  increased  until 
the  time  for  firing  had  expired.  Then  the  ship  steamed 
to  the  target  and  the  hits  were  counted.  When  you 
consider  that  at  the  distance  given  above,  the  range 
must  be  known  within  less  than  one  hundred  yards  or 
the  shot  will  miss  the  target,  an  idea  may  be  formed  of 
the  difficulties  under  which  we  labour. 

After  the  kinds  of  target  practice  touched  on  above, 
we  still  have  a  very  important  one  to  consider — night 
firing,  in  which  the  targets  are  supposed  to  represent 
torpedo  boats  making  an  attack  on  the  ship.  In  this 
practice,  which  is  the  most  exciting  and  trying  of 
all,  only  the  torpedo  defence  guns — that  is  to  say,  the 
guns  of  the  secondary  battery — are  used.  During  all 
this  firing  the  officers  and  men  have  practically  no  rec- 

400 


Fire  Control 

reation.  It  is  work  of  the  hardest  kind  from  daylight 
until  dark,  and  frequently  from  dark  until  daylight.  A 
large  party  of  officers  and  men  must  at  all  times  be 
afloat  in  boats  to  look  after  and  repair  the  target 
frames,  change  the  screens,  and  mark  the  shot  holes  on 
them,  etc.,  and  these  men  are  constantly  drenched  with 
salt  water  and  their  faces  blistered  with  the  sun. 

Yet  you  never  hear  a  word  of  complaint  from  them 
— they  know  too  well  the  vital  necessity  of  such  train 
ing. 

When  all  the  firing  had  been  completed,  the  fleet 
was  sent  immediately  to  the  navy  yards  at  Boston,  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  and  Norfolk,  to  be  docked  and 
cleaned  and  made  ready  for  the  start.  Orders  were 
imperative  that  no  work  should  be  done  except  such  as 
was  absolutely  necessary  for  cruising  efficiency,  and  all 
officers  understood  that  they  were  not  to  allow  any 
grass  to  grow  under  their  feet. 

During  the  target  practice  in  Massachusetts  Bay,  the 
subject  of  fire  control — that  is,  the  efficient  control  of 
the  fire  of  all  the  guns  of  the  battery — the  most  impor 
tant  of  all  the  intricate  problems  to  be  solved,  was  thor 
oughly  gone  into.  Many  different  systems  of  control 
had  been  installed  on  board  ships  of  the  fleet,  generally 
by  the  officers  and  men  of  the  ships,  and  these  were 
exhaustively  tried  out.  Finally,  a  board  of  ordnance 
experts,  all  of  them  seagoing  officers  of  experience,  was 
appointed  by  me  to  consider  the  whole  subject  of  fire 
control  and  report  fully  at  the  earliest  practicable  mo 
ment.  This  board  sat  for  many  days,  visited  all  the 
ships  of  the  fleet,  inspected  the  various  systems  in  use, 
and  then  made  an  able  and  exhaustive  report,  which 

401 


An  Admiral's  Log 

was  approved  and  sent  to  Washington.  Mr.  Newberry, 
the  active  and  energetic  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  gave  it  his  personal  attention,  and  as  a  result 
orders  were  given  for  the  system  recommended  by  the 
board  to  be  installed  on  all  the  vessels  of  the  fleet.  It 
was  found  that  the  work  was  so  extensive  and  of  such 
a  character  that  it  could  not  be  completed  before  the 
day  set  for  sailing,  but  the  necessary  material  to  com 
plete  it  was  put  on  board,  and  the  officers  and  men 
could,  and  did,  complete  it  in  each  ship  before  we  ar 
rived  in  the  Pacific. 

To  the  layman  neither  the  importance  of  this  work 
nor  the  enormous  amount  of  it  can  be  made  clear.  I 
may  say,  however,  that  the  hitting  power  of  the  guns 
depends  absolutely  upon  the  efficiency  of  the  fire  con 
trol,  and  that  to  install  such  a  system  miles  of  wire  had 
to  be  run  in  each  ship,  and  all  this  wire  had  to  be  most 
carefully  placed  to  prevent  short  circuits  and  other  evils 
of  which  the  layman  can  form  no  idea.  Then  hundreds 
of  telephones  and  receivers  had  to  be  procured  and  in 
stalled.  In  addition  to  this  work,  it  was  decided  that 
each  vessel  of  the  fleet  should  be  fitted  with  the  newly 
invented  wireless  telephone.  This  installation  was  im 
mediately  taken  in  hand,  but,  like  the  fire  control,  it 
was  not  completed  in  time,  and  we  put  to  sea  with 
the  remaining  work  to  be  done  by  the  officers  and 
men  of  the  fleet.  An  expert  from  the  contractor  went 
with  us  as  far  as  Trinidad  and  did  all  he  could  to  as 
sist  us. 

With  the  ships  crowded  into  the  navy  yards  for  re 
pairs,  the  officers  and  men  found  their  surroundings 
most  uncomfortable.  As  many  as  possible  were  sent  on 

402 


Navy- Yard  Conditions 

leave,  but  the  remaining  ones  had  a  hard  time  of  it. 
Above  all  things,  an  American  bluejacket  likes  a  clean 
place  to  eat,  a  clean  place  to  sleep,  and  a  chance  to  keep 
himself  clean  and  smart;  in  other  words,  he  loves  a 
clean  ship,  and  he  is  unhappy  if  he  cannot  have  it.  That 
these  conditions  should  always  prevail  on  a  vessel  of 
war  goes  without  saying,  but  it  is  a  fact  which  none 
can  deny  that  they  do  not  exist  on  a  vessel  under  re 
pairs  at  a  navy  yard ;  the  conditions  are  such  as  to  ren 
der  cleanliness  and  comfort  impossible. 

A  ship  goes  to  a  navy  yard  spick  and  span — every 
thing  clean  and  neat  and  the  men  happy  and  contented ; 
then  a  gang  of  workmen  in  dirty  overalls  is  rushed  on 
board,  and  trouble  begins  at  once.  Things  are  pulled  to 
pieces  here  and  there,  dirt  covers  the  decks,  men  are 
hustled  about,  and  in  many  cases  driven  from  their 
usual  quarters,  and  discomfort  takes  charge.  The  fam 
ilies  and  friends  of  the  crew  come  on  board  in  great 
numbers,  only  to  find  themselves  out  of  place,  and  this 
very  soon  brings  complaint  and  discontent.  If  it  be 
winter — and  this  was  the  case  with  the  Atlantic  Fleet — 
the  suffering  of  the  crew  is  great,  not  only  from  cold, 
but  because  the  decks  cannot  in  many  cases  be  scrubbed, 
and  the  dirt  accumulates  until  both  the  officers  and  men 
are  ashamed  of  their  ships,  and  well  they  may  be.  People 
sometimes  wonder  at  the  number  of  desertions  in  the 
navy.  If  they  knew  the  conditions  as  I  know  them,  and 
have  so  many  times  seen  them,  I  think  the  wonder 
would  be  that  there  are  not  more.  The  old  hands  who 
have  seen  service  and  know  what  discipline  means  have 
the  happy  faculty  of  making  the  best  of  what  they 
know  will  be  a  short  period  of  much  discomfort  and 

403 


An  Admiral's  Log 

dirt,  but  the  new  ones  who  come  to  the  ship  for  the 
first  time  naturally  assume  that  this  is  the  normal  con 
dition  of  ship  life,  and  many  of  them  "  jump  "  at  the 
first  opportunity.  The  wonder  to  me  is  that  more  of 
them  do  not  desert. 

It  may  seem  to  the  reader  that  the  Navy  Depart 
ment  might  somehow  correct  the  evils  complained  of, 
but  the  Department  is  as  helpless  as  a  jellyfish.  Al 
though  backed  as  it  is  by  the  opinion  of  the  ablest  offi 
cers  in  the  service,  more  than  once  expressed  in  official 
reports,  it  cannot  build  barracks  and  furnish  them  with 
out  money,  and  money  can  only  be  had  through  act  of 
Congress.  Some  day  we  hope  Congress  will  realise  the 
crying  necessity  for  large,  comfortable  barracks  at  each 
navy  yard,  with  reading-rooms  and  proper  dormitories 
— in  other  words,  a  decent  home  for  the  men.  Then  a 
ship  going  to  a  yard  for  repairs  can  transfer  her  crew 
to  the  barracks,  house  and  feed  them  comfortably,  and 
detail  each  day  a  sufficient  number  of  men  to  guard 
properly  the  property  on  the  ship,  while  the  rest  of  the 
crew,  after  the  necessary  morning  drills,  can  receive 
their  friends  or  enjoy  their  shore  leave. 

One  of  the  most  important  preparations  for  the 
cruise  to  the  Pacific  was  so  to  arrange  the  crews  of  the 
ships  that  the  times  of  enlistment  of  the  men  would  not 
expire  before  the  return  to  an  Atlantic  port,  and  so  save 
the  government  much  money  in  the  matter  of  trans 
portation,  as  each  man  must  be  returned  to  his  place  of 
enlistment  when  his  term  of  service  expires.  The  De 
partment  decided  that  all  those  who  had  only  a  certain 
short  term  to  serve  should  be  transferred  to  receiving 
ships  and  their  places  filled  by  apprentice  seamen  from 

404 


The  Food  Question 

the  training  stations  at  Newport  and  Norfolk.  This 
took  from  us  many  of  our  best  men,  some  of  them  petty 
officers  and  many  of  them  gun  pointers,  but  all  of  them 
highly  drilled  and  well  disciplined.  In  their  stead  came 
a  trim  lot  of  young  lads,  most  of  them  from  the  farms 
of  the  middle  west,  who  had  been  hastily  whipped  into 
shape  at  the  training  stations.  But  with  these  drafts 
also  came  many  raw  recruits  who  had  practically  no 
training — who,  in  fact,  had  only  been  enlisted  a  few 
weeks.  The  number  of  men  transferred  from  the  fleet 
was  so  large  that  every  man  from  the  training  stations 
was  needed  to  fill  their  vacancies.  I  am  sure  that  a 
finer  lot  of  men  was  never  seen  in  the  navy  than  those 
sent  out  of  the  fleet  to  the  receiving  ships  on  this  occa 
sion,  and  one  can  easily  imagine  the  feeling  of  regret 
with  which  the  captains  of  the  ships  saw  them  go.  The 
important  and  all-absorbing  question  was  how  to  make 
the  new  ones  as  efficient  as  the  old  ones  had  been  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment. 

The  question  of  feeding  so  many  men  for  so  long  a 
cruise  was  a  vital  one.  In  case  of  absolute  necessity — 
war,  for  instance — we  could  do  as  we  did  in  the  Civil 
War — live  on  hard  tack,  "  salt  horse  "  (salt  beef),  and 
salt  bacon;  but  the  navy  had  come  to  look  on  fresh 
bread  every  day  and  fresh  meat  at  least  four  days  in  a 
week  as  a  necessity.  We  had  found  that  it  was  cheaper 
to  feed  the  men  well  and  keep  them  in  good  health 
than  to  feed  them  on  insufficient  food,  pay  the  hospital 
bills,  and  afterwards  the  pensions.  Above  all  this 
was  the  vital  consideration  of  keeping  them  fit  for 
the  very  exhausting  work  that  fell  to  them  on  board 
ship,  and  to  have  them  ready  at  all  times  to  fight 
27  405 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  guns  if  that  became  necessary.  In  other  words, 
good  food  meant  good  men — certainly  not  a  new  dis 
covery. 

To  meet  the  demands  of  the  occasion,  the  Depart 
ment  utilised  the  two  naval  supply  ships,  Glacier  and 
Culgoa.  These  vessels  were  entirely  overhauled  at  the 
New  York  yard,  their  refrigerating  plants  were  thor 
oughly  refitted,  their  cold-storage  rooms  tested,  and  all 
their  ordinary  store-rooms  put  in  perfect  condition. 
Then  they  were  packed  as  full  of  stores  of  various 
kinds  as  they  could  hold.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  the 
reader  to  note  among  these  stores  the  following: 
Flour,  675,000  pounds;  cornmeal,  16,000  pounds;  oat 
meal,  6,000  pounds;  rolled  oats,  10,000  pounds;  rice, 
30,000  poujids;  barley,  5,000  pounds;  cornstarch,  3,500 
pounds ;  hominy,  6,000  pounds ;  tapioca,  6,000  pounds ; 
turkey  for  Christmas  dinner,  40,000  pounds ;  fresh  beef, 
850,000  pounds;  mutton,  65,000  pounds;  pork  loins, 
140,000  pounds;  veal,  100,000  pounds;  frankfurters, 
55,000  pounds;  Bologna  sausage,  35,000  pounds;  fresh 
sausage,  45,000  pounds;  head  cheese,  30,000  pounds; 
smoked  ham,  120,000  pounds;  tinned  ham,  30,000 
pounds;  eggs,  fresh,  10,000  dozen;  eggs,  dried,  equiv 
alent  of  9,000  dozen;  onions,  140,000  pounds;  fresh 
potatoes,  500,000  pounds;  tinned  tomatoes,  170,000 
pounds;  tinned  peaches,  45,000  pounds;  butter,  15,000 
pounds;  jams,  10,000  pounds;  jellies,  6,000  pounds; 
nuts,  6,000  pounds;  raisins,  8,000  pounds;  coffee, 
60,000  pounds ;  tea,  8,000  pounds ;  condensed  milk,  75,- 
ooo  pounds;  evaporated  milk,  14,000  pounds;  pickles, 
7,000  pounds;  sauerkraut,  30,000  pounds;  catsup, 
2,500  pounds;  baking  powder,  1,600  pounds;  sugar, 

406 


Supplies  for  the  Ships 

150,000  pounds;  cheese,  20,000  pounds;  lard,  40,000 
pounds;  salt,  25,000  pounds;  salt-water  soap,  110,000 
pounds;  plug  tobacco,  15,000  pounds.  This  list  is 
made  from  a  list  of  ninety  articles  put  on  board  the 
supply  ships.  In  addition,  there  were  luxuries  of  all 
sorts.  Each  ship  of  the  fleet  had  cold-storage  rooms, 
and  these  were  filled  to  their  utmost  capacity  with  fresh 
meat  the  day  before  sailing.  The  amount  taken  varied 
from  10,000  pounds  in  the  older  ships  to  30,000  pounds 
in  the  new  ones,  and  this  was,  of  course,  in  addition  to 
the  supplies  carried  in  the  store-ships.  Each  ship  also 
had  an  excellently  organised  canteen,  in  which  could  be 
found  anything,  from  a  toothbrush  to  a  box  of  candy. 
I  am  afraid  to  say  how  many  tons  of  candy  this  fleet 
took  to  sea.  Primarily  all  these  good  things  were  for 
the  men.  The  government  does  not  feed  officers;  they 
must  pay  for  their  food  or  go  hungry;  but  on  this 
cruise  we  were  allowed  to  draw  stores  from  the  general 
supply  and  pay  for  them.  This  buying,  however,  can 
only  be  done  while  the  men  have  plenty  and  to  spare. 
As  soon  as  there  is  a  threat  of  shortage,  the  officers 
must  go  without. 

I  haVe  found  that  many  of  our  countrymen  believe 
that  the  government  clothes  and  feeds  us  in  addition  to 
paying  us  our  salaries.  I  always  take  pleasure  in  tell 
ing  such  kindly  disposed  thinkers  how  wrong  they  are ; 
that  the  government  pays  us  our  salary  only,  and  then 
deducts  twenty  cents  a  month  from  that  for  fear  that 
we  may  some  day  fall  ill  and  have  to  be  sent  to  a  hos 
pital.  Every  officer  and  man  in  the  navy  has  to  pay 
twenty  cents  a  month  into  the  hospital  fund,  and  yet 
the  government  of  the  United  States  could  afford  to 

407 


An  Admiral's  Log 

pay  twenty  millions  of  dollars  for  the  Philippine 
Islands,  which  we  held  by  the  best  title  known  to  man 
— the  right  of  conquest.  It  is  sometimes  hard  to  recog 
nise  the  eternal  fitness  of  things ! 

In  addition  to  the  reserve  supply  in  the  store-ship, 
each  vessel  of  the  fleet  started  with  her  own  store 
rooms  full,  which  was  in  most  cases  sufficient  for  three 
months.  The  Bureau  of  Supplies  and  Accounts  cer 
tainly  deserves  great  credit  for  the  way  this  vast 
amount  of  provisions  was  supplied  and  put  on  board, 
and  too  much  cannot  be  said  for  those  firms  who  pre 
pared  them.  We  gave  every  man  in  the  fleet  his  proper 
ration  of  good,  wholesome  food  every  day,  from  Fort 
ress  Monroe  to  San  Francisco,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  we  twice  passed  through  the  tropics  on  the 
way,  the  stores  last  served  out  were  as  good  as  they 
were  when  first  placed  on  board.  Although  it  is  the 
right  of  sailors  to  growl — and  they  never  fail  to  do  it 
when  there  is  the  least  ground  for  it — I  heard  of  but 
one  complaint  about  food  during  this  cruise.  A  news 
paper  clipping,  containing  a  letter  from  a  man  on  one 
of  the  battleships  declaring  that  bad  ham  had  been 
served  to  the  crew,  was  sent  to  me  from  Washington 
for  investigation.  In  this  letter  to  his  mother  the 
youngster  declared  that  ham  which  was  spoiled  had 
been  given  the  men  to  eat.  I  sent  for  the  captain  of 
the  ship,  and  from  him  learned  that  the  men  of  his 
crew  had  heard  of  the  letter  and  had  called  the  writer 
to  account  for  having  written  what  every  one  knew  to 
be  untrue.  The  captain  had  brought  the  lad  on  board 
with  him,  and  when  I  asked  him  what  he  meant  by 
such  conduct  he  said  that  he  had  written  it  in  fun  to  his 

408 


The  Repair  Ship 

mother,  and  had  no  idea  that  it  would  ever  get  into 
print. 

Unfortunately  there  are  a  number  of  newspapers 
in  the  country  which  will  publish  any  yarn  sent  them, 
and  the  more  exaggerated  and  untrue  the  contents  the 
better  they  seem  to  like  it.  Ever  since  I  first  took  com 
mand  of  a  ship  I  have  been  most  careful  in  looking 
after  the  welfare  of  the  crew,  and,  I  am  glad  to  say,  the 
men  have  not  hesitated  to  bring  their  troubles  to  me 
for  settlement.  So  when  this  complaint  came  I  was 
perfectly  sure  there  could  be  no  truth  in  it,  or  some  of 
the  older  men  in  the  crew  would  have  appealed  to  the 
captain,  and  if  necessary  to  me.  There  was  a  time 
when  our  men  were  very  badly  treated  in  the  matter  of 
food,  but  I  am  glad  to  say  that  time  has  long  since 
passed. 

We  had  learned  the  value  of  a  properly  fitted  repair 
ship  during  the  Spanish  War,  and  the  Department 
agreed  to  send  one  with  the  Atlantic  Fleet.  The  Pan 
ther  was,  accordingly,  fitted  out  for  the  purpose,  and 
suitable  machinery  and  appliances  placed  on  board.  She 
proved  most  efficient,  and  paid  for  herself  several  times 
over  before  we  saw  the  Golden  Gate.  These  auxil 
iaries,  store  and  repair  ships,  were  of  more  interest  to 
the  many  foreign  naval  attaches  who  visited  them  than 
anything  else  in  the  fleet.  The  Panther  was  fitted  par 
ticularly  for  making  castings,  which  the  battleships, 
though  having  excellent  workshops,  were  unable  to  do. 
Besides  this,  she  carried  spare  parts  of  machinery  such 
as  were  most  likely  to  give  way  on  the  large  ships,  and 
also  propeller  blades  for  the  torpedo-boat  destroyers. 
The  work  done  by  this  ship  reflected  the  greatest  credit 

409 


An  Admiral's  Log 

on  the  men  who  fitted  her  out,  and  her  excellent  com 
manding  officer  was  deservedly  most  popular  with  all 
hands  for  the  efficient  way  in  which  he  met  the  numer 
ous  demands  made  on  him.  The  destroyers  could  not 
have  made  the  trip  as  they  did  had  it  not  been  for  the 
Panther. 

The  last  of  the  auxiliaries  to  be  prepared  for  service 
was  the  Arethusa,  water  ship.  Her  function  was  to  act 
as  mother  ship  to  the  destroyers  and,  when  possible, 
supply  fresh  water  for  the  boilers  of  the  battleships, 
which  could  be  carried  in  their  double  bottoms,  and 
thus  save  the  coal  that  would  be  used  in  distilling  water 
to  make  up  the  waste  feed  of  the  boilers.  She  was  too 
slow  to  keep  up  with  the  destroyers,  and  was  seldom 
called  upon  by  the  battleships,  but  she  was  of  value  in 
carrying  oil,  of  which  we  required  for  the  cruise  one 
hundred  thousand  gallons,  and  other  heavy  stores,  such 
as  cordage,  etc.  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  my  requi 
sition  for  rope  to  be  used  in  coaling  the  fleet  could  not 
be  completely  filled,  though  we  bought  every  foot  of 
four-inch  rope  in  the  market.  The  motors  which  oper 
ate  the  coal  whips  are  driven  at  very  high  speed,  and 
the  rope  falls  are  cut  up  and  destroyed  in  the  most  sur 
prising  way.  The  fact  that  the  fleet  took  the  entire 
supply  in  the  market,  and  did  not  have  any  too  much, 
would  seem  to  point  to  the  necessity  of  keeping  a  sup 
ply  on  hand. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

THE   DEPARTURE   FOR   THE   PACIFIC 

EARLY  in  December  I  issued  orders  for  the  fleet 
to  assemble  in  Hampton  Roads  on  or  before  December 
loth,  but,  as  some  of  the  ships  were  delayed  in  dock 
ing,  this  was  later  changed  to  the  I2th.  On  the  day 
mentioned  all  had  arrived  and  were  anchored  in  line 
of  squadrons — two  lines,  with  eight  ships  in  each  line. 
All  the  coal  that  could  be  stowed  was  taken  in  and  a 
generous  supply  of  fresh  water  pumped  into  the  double 
bottoms.  On  the  I4th  and  I5th  the  last  of  the  fresh 
provisions  were  taken  in,  and  the  great  fleet  was  ready 
for  sea.  The  hotels  at  Fortress  Monroe  were  crowded 
with  visitors,  families  of  officers  and  their  friends,  who 
had  come  to  say  good-bye  and  see  us  off  on  a  record- 
breaking  cruise.  We  danced  and  made  as  merry  as  we 
could,  but  at  times  the  faces  of  officers  and  men  gave 
evidence  that  it  was  hard  to  leave  the  dear  ones,  and 
that  long  years  of  the  same  heart-breaking  process  had 
not  made  it  any  easier.  The  dignity  and  self-control  of 
the  navy  women,  some  of  them  brides  of  only  a  few 
weeks,  was  a  striking  feature  of  the  occasion.  But 
that  is  what  American  men  expect  of  their  American 
women,  and  they  are  never  disappointed. 

Owing  to  the  comparatively  small  coal  capacity  of 
the  destroyers,  the  flotilla  sailed  before  the  battleships. 

411 


An  Admiral's  Log 

The  itinerary  for  them  was  different  from  that  of  the 
main  fleet — so  arranged  that  they  could  run  from  port 
to  port  without  worrying  over  their  coal  supply,  and 
finally  meet  the  battleships  at  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Their 
inability  to  carry  provisions  for  any  considerable  time 
had  also  to  be  considered  in  arranging  their  ports  of 
call. 

The  President  had  decided  that  he  would  come  to 
Fortress  Monroe  in  the  Mayflower  to  review  the  fleet, 
say  good-bye  to  the  officers  and  men,  and  see  us  off  on 
our  long  cruise — an  honour  which  every  officer  and 
man  felt  deeply  and  duly  appreciated.  The  morning 
of  the  1 6th  came  with  leaden  skies  and  a  promise  of 
bad  weather.  The  fresh,  cold  north-west  wind  made 
boating  ugly  work,  but  somehow  we  believed  in  Roose 
velt  weather,  and  sure  enough  it  came.  As  the  May 
flower  approached  the  fleet,  the  rails  of  the  ships  were 
manned,  the  officers  paraded  in  special  full  dress,  the 
marine  guards  presented  arms,  the  bands  played  the 
national  air,  and  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  was  fired. 
As  the  reports  of  the  saluting  guns  died  away,  the 
clouds  parted,  the  sun  came  out,  and  ushered  in  a  most 
beautiful  day.  It  was,  indeed,  Roosevelt  weather.  The 
Mayflower  anchored  in  the  midst  of  the  fleet,  and  all 
the  flag  and  commanding  officers  repaired  on  board  at 
once  to  be  greeted  by  the  President  and  the  distin 
guished  people  who  accompanied  him  and  to  say  good 
bye  to  them. 

As  I  passed  over  the  gangway  I  was  met  by  the 
President  and  greeted  by  him  in  his  usual  hearty  and 
courteous  manner.  A  battery  of  cameras  clicked  and 
snapped  as  Mr.  Roosevelt  gave  me  a  few  last  instruc- 

412 


The  President's  Good-bye 

tions,  and  I  am  sure  no  expression  of  his  face  or  mine 
escaped  these  energetic  workers,  who  in  pursuit  of 
their  calling  often  make  themselves  most  annoying. 
For  the  first  time  I  was  authorised  by  the  President  to 
say  to  the  officers  and  men  of  the  fleet  that,  after  a  stay 
of  a  few  months  in  the  Pacific,  the  fleet  would  return 
to  an  Atlantic  port  via  the  Suez  Canal. 

This  message  was  conveyed  to  them  by  signal  the 
first  night  out,  and  announced  to  the  officers  at  the 
ward-room  dinner.  One  of  the  newspaper  men  sent 
the  message  to  his  paper  by  wireless,  and  it  was  pub 
lished  the  following  morning.  Afterwards  I  saw  that 
Mr.  Loeb  had  promptly  denied  that  the  President  ever 
authorised  any  such  statement.  Mr.  Loeb  is  undoubt 
edly  one  of  the  best  men  who  ever  served  as  secretary 
to  a  President,  but  I  am  sure  I  could  keep  him  busy  for 
a  long  time  denying  things  if  I  published  everything 
the  President  has  said  to  me.  On  this  occasion  it  was 
plain  from  his  manner  that  Mr.  Roosevelt  felt  deeply 
the  importance  of  the  step  he  had  decided  to  take,  and 
which  had  centred  upon  the  navy  of  the  United  States 
the  critical  attention  of  the  whole  world. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  Admiral  Brownson,  Chief 
of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation,  who  accompanied  him — 
an  officer  who,  from  long  and  faithful  service  and  un 
excelled  ability,  deserved  to  hold  the  position  he  did  of 
confidential  adviser  to  his  chief.  Both  of  their  faces 
were  serious,  but  not  troubled,  and  it  was  plain  that, 
while  feeling  somewhat  the  difficulties  before  me,  they 
had  no  doubt  of  the  successful  accomplishment  of  my 
task.  I  was  most  gratified  to  have  the  President  say 
to  me,  as  he  did,  "  Remember,  Admiral  Evans,  you  sail 

413 


An  Admiral's  Log 

with  the  confidence  of  the  President  more  completely 
than  any  admiral  ever  did  before.  Your  cruise  is  a 
peaceful  one,  but  you  realise  your  responsibility  if  it 
should  turn  out  otherwise !  "  With  those  words,  ring 
ing  in  my  ears,  a  hearty  handshake,  "  Good-bye,  God 
bless  you !  "  from  the  President,  and  the  clicking  of  the 
cameras,  I  left  the  Mayflower  and  returned  to  the  Con 
necticut,  my  flagship.  Mr.  Metcalf,  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  was  on  board  the  Mayflower,  but  unfortu 
nately  ill,  so  that  I  could  not  say  good-bye  to  him. 

As  soon  as  the  President  had  said  good-bye  to  all 
the  officers,  the  Mayflower  got  under  way  and  stood 
slowly  out  of  the  harbour.  I  made  signal  for  the  fleet 
to  weigh  by  squadrons  in  succession,  and  in  eight  min 
utes  after  the  signal  came  down  the  Atlantic  Fleet  was 
under  way  and  forming  column,  not  again  to  anchor  in 
home  waters  until  it  reached  the  coast  of  California. 
It  was  certainly  a  grand  and  impressive  sight,  and  one 
to  make  any  American  heart  swell  with  pride — these 
splendid,  great  ships,  in  the  pink  of  condition,  much 
overloaded  though  they  were,  picking  up  their  anchors 
and  turning,  under  difficult  conditions  of  tide  and  wind, 
with  mathematical  precision.  The  wives  and  sweet 
hearts  on  the  beach  waved  their  handkerchiefs  and 
cheered,  the  bands  played  "  The  Girl  I  Left  Behind 
Me/'  and  the  great  white  ships,  in  perfect  order,  went 
on  their  way. 

The  Mayflower,  with  the  President's  flag  flying,  led 
the  fleet  out  of  Hampton  Roads,  and  so  perfect  was 
the  formation  that,  looking  back  from  the  flagship,  but 
one  ship  could  be  seen,  the  positions  of  the  others  being 
indicated  by  the  dense  columns  of  black  smoke  from 

414 


The  Start  for  the  Pacific 

their  stacks.  When  in  proper  position  in  the  lower  bay 
the  Mayflower  anchored,  and  the  fleet,  with  rails 
manned  and  officers  in  special  full  dress,  passed  in  re 
view,  each  ship  firing  twenty-one  guns  as  she  passed. 
When  the  last  ship  had  fired  her  salute,  the  head  of  the 
column  was  three  miles  away  receiving  the  cheers  of 
the  people  massed  about  the  houses  on  Cape  Henry. 
Our  last  farewell  had  been  said,  and  the  long  line  of 
overloaded  white  ships  stood  out  to  sea  on  their  course 
to  Trinidad,  our  first  port  of  call.  One  look  at  the 
fleet  would  have  convinced  any  professional  mind  that 
our  cruise  was  to  be  a  peaceful  one,  for  the  ships  were 
loaded  with  extra  men,  extra  stores,  extra  amount  of 
fresh  water,  and  extra  ammunition,  until  their  water- 
line  armour  belts  were  either  submerged  or,  in  the  case 
of  the  Connecticut  class,  awash.  The  only  fault  to  be 
found  with  this  condition  was  that  it  made  the  ships 
unhandy  and  required  a  larger  expenditure  of  coal  to 
maintain  their  cruising  speed  of  ten  knots  per  hour.  Of 
course,  if  an  engagement  had  been  in  sight  this  condi 
tion  would  not  have  existed. 

The  morning  of  December  i7th  found  us  well  into 
the  Gulf  Stream,  off  Hatteras,  proceeding  at  ten  knots, 
in  cruising  formation,  to  the  south.  All  hands  were  de 
lighted  to  be  on  blue  water  once  more,  and  the  warm, 
soft  air  of  the  Stream  was  most  welcome  after  the 
cold,  raw  weather  of  Fortress  Monroe  and  the  north 
ern  yards.  But  when  the  sick  reports  were  signalled 
at  10  A.M.,  the  annoying  side  of  the  picture  was  shown. 
One  ship  reported  twenty-six  cases  of  measles,  another 
a  dozen  cases  of  mumps,  another  had  chicken  pox,  and 
another  scarlet  fever.  Indeed,  I  found  that  about  all 

415 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  children's  diseases  known  were  in  evidence  among 
the  recruits  from  the  training  stations,  and  all  these 
had  to  be  eradicated  before  we  arrived  at  Trinidad  or 
the  fleet  would  have  to  ride  out  a  quarantine,  which 
would  seriously  interfere  with  our  itinerary.  Able 
doctors,  isolation  wards,  and  disinfectants  soon  cleared 
the  atmosphere,  and  in  the  beautiful  weather  south  of 
the  Gulf  Stream  all  the  sick  people,  except  a  few  seri 
ous  cases,  were  soon  on  their  feet  and  taking  their 
rations  with  relish.  On  the  morning  of  the  second 
day  out  white  uniform  was  ordered,  and  we  did  not 
again  wear  blue  until  we  approached  the  Straits  of 
Magellan,  a  few  weeks  later. 

During  the  run  of  seventeen  hundred  miles  the 
drills  were  constant;  indeed,  several  kinds  of  drills 
were  taking  place  at  the  same  time.  The  interval  be 
tween  the  squadrons  was  increased  to  righting  range, 
so  that  the  gun  pointers  could  keep  their  sights  on  an 
actual  ship,  and  the  range-finder  crews  were  given 
hours  of  practice  each  day  and,  later,  at  night.  In 
order  to  standardise  the  propellers,  which  had  never 
been  done  at  so  great  a  draught,  each  ship  was  required 
to  keep  station  most  carefully  and  report  each  half 
hour  the  actual  number  of  revolutions  she  was  making 
as  counted  on  the  bridge.  This  was  checked  from  the 
flagship,  whose  speed  was  regarded  as  standard.  The 
gun  drills  were  most  carefully  and  persistently  fol 
lowed  up  by  the  ordnance  officers,  and  every  effort 
made  to  have  the  men  ready  for  action  at  the  earliest 
moment. 

As  we  approached  the  West  Indies,  the  Missouri 
was  sent  into  San  Juan  to  land  a  sick  man  who  might 

416 


Christmas  at  Port-of-Spain 

have  some  chance  for  his  life  if  he  could  have  hospital 
treatment.  She  was  only  just  out  of  sight  when  the 
Illinois  reported  a  case  of  meningitis,  and  no  hope  for 
the  man  unless  he  could  be  landed  at  once,  so  she  was 
sent  into  Culebra,  where  we  have  a  hospital,  and  both 
ships  ordered  to  rejoin  off  Sail  Rock,  in  the  windward 
passage,  which  they  did  the  following  day. 

On  the  afternoon  of  December  23d  the  fleet  passed 
through  the  Dragon's  Mouth  into  the  Gulf  of  Paria, 
and  just  after  sunset  anchored  in  column  of  divisions 
about  five  miles  from  the  town  of  Port-of-Spain.  The 
colliers  were  waiting  for  us,  and  also,  much  to  my  sur 
prise,  the  destroyers,  one  of  which  had  met  with  an 
accident.  The  Panther  took  the  disabled  boat  in  hand 
and  soon  had  it  ready  for  sea  again,  and  at  daylight  of 
the  24th  the  first  division  began  coaling.  Notwith 
standing  the  tremendous  heat,  the  coal  was  all  in  and 
the  decks  washed  down  before  night,  greens  obtained 
from  shore  for  dressing  the  ships,  turkey  and  other 
good  things  served  out  from  the  store-ships,  and  all 
hands  were  ready  to  enjoy  their  Christmas  on  the  mor 
row.  In  the  meantime  all  official  calls  had  been  ex 
changed  with  the  officials  on  shore — a  duty  which 
always  demands  much  time  and  patience.  After  call 
ing  on  the  governor,  Sir  Henry  Jackson,  who  was  far 
from  well,  I  established  myself  and  the  other  flag  offi 
cers  of  the  fleet  at  the  Queen's  Hotel,  and  there  received 
his  return  call,  after  which  we  all  dined  at  Government 
House  and  were  most  hospitably  entertained. 

Christmas  Day  was  most  carefully  observed,  only 
absolutely  necessary  work  being  done.  The  crews  had 
the  usual  sports — boat  races,  etc. — and  after  a  good 

417 


An  Admiral's  Log 

dinner  four  thousand  of  them  visited  the  town.  On 
the  26th,  27th,  and  28th  the  three  remaining  divisions 
were  coaled  to  their  utmost  capacity  for  the  long  run 
to  Rio,  the  divisions  not  coaling  giving  shore  liberty  to 
their  men  from  10  A.M.  to  10  P.M. 

On  the  afternoon  of  December  2Qth  the  fleet  was 
again  under  way,  and,  passing  out  through  the  Dragon's 
Mouth,  headed  south  for  its  longest  run.  Before  leav 
ing  I  received  from  the  governor  a  note,  from  which 
the  following  is  an  extract: 

"  I  ask  to  be  allowed  to  offer  my  congratulations  on 
the  irreproachable  behaviour  of  your  men  on  leave.  A 
residence  for  years  at  Gibraltar,  a  rendezvous  of  the 
fleets  of  the  world,  has  given  me  much  experience  with 
Jack  ashore.  I  can  assert  that  your  men  established  a 
record  hard  to  equal  and  impossible  to  beat." 

A  pleasant  run  brought  the  great  armada  to  the 
equator  during  the  forenoon  of  January  5th,  and  there 
Neptune,  whose  flag  was  flying  from  every  ship,  met 
us  and  welcomed  us  to  his  domain. 

Of  all  the  old  customs  of  the  navy,  the  only  one 
that  will  probably  survive  and  last  for  all  time  is  the 
initiation  of  landsmen  who  cross  the  "  Line,"  as  the 
equator  is  called,  for  the  first  time.  The  ceremonies, 
like  the  custom  itself,  are  practically  the  same  in  all  the 
navies  of  the  world,  but  do  not,  so  far  as  I  know, 
obtain  in  the  merchant  service.  In  an  age  of  change, 
when  all  precedents  are  disregarded  and  old  customs 
and  traditions  forgotten,  it  is  pleasant  to  know  that  this 
one,  so  long  observed  and  which  gives  pleasure  to  so 
many,  may  still  hold  its  place. 

As  the  fleet  approached  the  equator  on  the  evening 
418 


Crossing  the  "Line" 

of  the  4th  of  January  a  messenger  from  Neptunus  Rex 
boarded  each  vessel,  interviewed  the  captain,  and,  hav 
ing  received  his  permission  for  his  Majesty  to  visit  him 
on  the  morrow,  took  his  leave.  During  the  night  of 
the  4th  each  ship  was  fitted  with  a  large  canvas  tank 
near  the  forward  turret,  so  arranged  that  from  a  tilting 
barber's  chair  on  the  rim  of  the  turret  the  one  to  be 
initiated  could  be  tumbled  head  over  heels  into  the 
water,  which,  as  it  leaked  out,  was  being  constantly  re 
newed  by  several  lines  of  hose.  All  those  to  face 
Father  Neptune  were  sure  of  a  good  cool  bath,  if  noth 
ing  more. 

When  the  position  of  no  latitude  was  reached  on 
January  5th,  the  flag  of  the  Monarch  of  the  Sea  was 
broken  out  at  the  signal  yardarm  on  every  vessel  of  the 
fleet,  and  King  Neptune,  followed  by  his  suite,  boarded 
each  ship  over  the  bows  and  marched  aft  to  the  quarter 
deck,  in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  crew,  to  make 
his  call  on  the  admirals  and  captains  and  obtain  their 
permission  to  conduct  his  ceremonies.  -  Great  ingenuity 
had  been  shown  by  the  "  old  hands  "  in  preparing  the 
many  costumes  necessary  for  the  occasion,  and  the 
"  march  aft,"  as  it  is  called,  produced  much  laughter 
and  applause  from  those  who  saw  it  for  the  first  time. 
But  there  were  many  serious  faces  among  the  young 
recruits,  who  looked  forward  with  some  anxiety  to  the 
time  when  they  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  these  fear 
ful-looking  monsters  of  the  deep,  who  were  constantly 
threatening  dire  things  to  those  "  landlubbers "  and 
"  haymakers "  who  ventured  to  invade  their  domain 
without  permission. 

Father  Neptune  in  every  case  knew  the  officers  and 
419 


An  Admiral's  Log 

men  whom  he  had  met  before,  and  he  welcomed  them 
with  a  few  kind  words,  mentioning  the  name  of  the 
ship  in  which  each  had  sailed,  and  wishing  them  a  fair 
wind  for  all  time.  So  perfect  were  the  costumes  of  the 
King  and  his  court  on  board  the  flagship  that  I  failed  to 
recognise  a  single  man  of  the  more  than  fifty  who  con 
stituted  the  suite.  I  presented  them  with  cigars  enough 
to  keep  them  going,  wished  them  a  successful  day,  and 
the  frolic  began.  Seats  had  been  arranged  on  the  for 
ward  bridge  for  the  officers  who  had  crossed  the  line 
before,  and  from  this  point  we  observed  the  ceremo 
nies.  The  day  was  exceedingly  hot,  and  we  were  all 
dressed  in  our  thinnest  white  uniforms.  After  I  had 
been  watching  the  fun  for  several  hours  I  felt  a 
peculiar  cold  wind  blowing  on  my  back,  which  so 
chilled  me  that  I  was  forced  to  retire  to  my  cabin, 
where  in  the  evening  I  found  myself  helpless  with  an 
attack  of  inflammatory  rheumatism,  which  caused  me 
intense  suffering,  often  recurred,  and  eventually  com 
pelled  me  to  give  up  the  command  of  the  Atlantic  Fleet 
— a  misfortune  which  might  well  break  the  heart  of 
any  flag  officer  who  loved  his  profession  as  I  have 
always  done. 

Before  leaving  the  United  States  the  "  old  hands  " 
had  provided  the  certificates  for  Neptune  to  sign.  They 
were  handsomely  printed  on  sea-green  paper,  and  made 
very  pretty  souvenirs  for  the  recruits  to  preserve.  In 
deed,  I  should  not  say  "  recruits,"  for  there  were  many 
men,  and  officers  as  well,  who  had  been  around  the 
world  several  times — men  of  many  years'  service — who 
had  never  crossed  the  equator.  This  may  be  easily  un 
derstood  after  a  glance  at  the  map,  where  it  will  be 

420 


King  Neptune  on  Board 

seen  how  one  leaving  San  Francisco  can  cross  the 
Pacific,  proceed  through  the  Mediterranean,  and  so 
across  the  Atlantic  to  New  York  without  once  crossing 
the  equator,  and  this  many  officers  and  men  had  done. 
When  once  the  Panama  Canal  is  completed,  the  equato 
rial  ocean  regions  will  be  much  more  lonely  even  than 
they  are  now. 

King  Neptune  always  offers  the  officers  the  privi 
lege  of  paying  their  footing — that  is,  contributing  so 
many  cigars  or  so  many  bottles  of  beer  instead  of  being 
regularly  initiated;  but  on  this  occasion  the  midship 
men  decided  that  they  would  take  their  medicine  with 
the  rest,  and  they  were  the  first  to  receive  the  rites — 
that  is  to  say,  to  be  shaved  by  the  barber  with  a  long 
wooden  razor,  and  then  to  be  tumbled  into  the  bath, 
where  the  "  mermaids,"  "  sharks,"  and  "  porpoises  " 
saw  that  they  were  thoroughly  and  properly  ducked. 
The  ward-room  preferred  to  pay. 

As  each  man  of  the  crew  received  his  ducking  he 
became  an  energetic  recruit  in  the  ranks  of  Neptune, 
and  joined  the  sea  policemen,  who  with  stuffed  clubs 
were  searching  the  ship  for  those  attempting  to  escape 
the  ordeal.  This  was  particularly  the  case  with  many 
of  the  coloured  men  on  board  who  were  serving  in  the 
capacity  of  mess  men.  None  was  allowed  to  escape, 
and  as  I  looked  on  I  could  very  easily  tell  the  men, 
both  black  and  white,  who  had  in  any  way  made  them 
selves  offensive  to  the  crew.  Such  persons  came  out  of 
the  tank  pretty  full  of  soapsuds  and  salt  water!  But 
in  no  case  was  any  man  maltreated  or  injured.  It  was 
a  harmless  form  of  hazing  to  which  I  gave  my  hearty 
approval.  When  all  hands  had  received  his  attention, 
88  421 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  certificates  were  signed  and  presented  by  Neptune, 
and  the  fifteen  thousand  men  of  the  fleet  were  at  last 
proper  men  to  sail  the  salt  seas.  I  doubt  if  so  many 
men  ever  before  crossed  the  line  at  one  time,  and  I 
know  that  a  finer  lot  of  clean-cut  sailor  lads  were  never 
assembled  in  one  fleet. 

Once  across  the  line,  the  question  of  coal  supply  be 
came  a  very  serious  one.  Theoretically,  the  supply  in 
the  bunkers  should  take  us  safely  to  Rio  with  several 
hundred  tons  to  spare,  but  what  about  the  equatorial 
current,  and  how  could  we  best  avoid  it  ?  After  a  care 
ful  study  of  all  the  charts  and  sailing  directions  by  the 
chief  of  staff  and  myself,  it  was  decided  to  stand  well 
out  to  the  eastward  to  avoid  the  strength  of  this 
current,  but  when  this  had  been  done  we  found  a 
knot  and  a  half  and  sometimes  two  knots  per  hour 
against  us. 

The  Maine  was  eating  up  coal  at  an  alarming  rate, 
if  I  could  rely  absolutely  on  her  noon  report  each  day, 
and  one  of  the  new  ships  had  the  same  undesirable 
tendency.  I  have  seen  considerable  service  in  battle 
ships,  and  I  knew  that  their  engine-room  forces  were, 
like  those  of  other  ships,  given  to  coming  out  ahead 
on  the  coal  question,  and  I  had  never  been  caught 
at  sea  completely  out  of  coal,  so  I  did  not  allow 
the  situation  to  trouble  me  much.  When  the  new 
ship  mentioned  above  seemed  to  be  approaching  the 
danger  line  in  coal  consumption,  I  made  signal  to 
her  that  when  her  coal  on  hand  was  reduced  to  a 
certain  amount  the  Kansas  would  take  her  in  tow, 
and  that  ended  the  trouble!  Her  coal  consumption 
was  immediately  reduced  to  that  of  other  ships  of  her 

422 


The  Firemen  of  the  Fleet 

class.  It  seemed  to  me  that  even  the  most  econom 
ical  ships  lowered  their  consumption  as  a  result  of  this 
signal.  We  arrived  in  Rio,  as  all  now  know,  without 
trouble  and  with  a  comfortable  reserve  of  coal  in  our 
bunkers. 

The  question  of  how  to  improve  the  efficiency  of 
the  firemen  of  the  fleet  was  one  that  had  given  me 
much  serious  concern.  They  were  not  up  to  the  stand 
ard  established  by  the  men  at  the  guns,  and  I  deter 
mined  to  make  them  so  if  possible.  With  the  assist 
ance  of  the  able  officers  of  my  staff,  a  comprehensive 
general  order  covering  the  whole  subject  and  giving 
full  details  was  prepared  and  issued.  Competition 
among  all  the  ships  of  the  fleet  was  demanded  by  the 
order,  and  suitable  rewards  offered  provided  Congress 
could  be  induced  to  give  us  the  necessary  small  sum  of 
money — about  two  thousand  dollars.  This  order  was 
issued  at  Rio,  and  from  the  time  we  left  there  until  we 
reached  Magdalena  Bay  resulted  in  a  saving  of  four 
teen  hundred  tons  of  coal,  which,  in  dollars  and  cents, 
at  the  contract  price  of  coal,  was  enough  to  pay  the 
prizes  to  be  awarded  for  four  years.  Congress  did  not, 
however,  give  us  the  money,  but  the  Navy  Department 
and  the  service  generally  highly  approved  of  the  order, 
and  we  live  in  hope  that  some  other  Congress  will  treat 
us  better. 

Before  the  fleet  sailed  from  Hampton  Roads  I  had 
seen  several  letters  giving  information  that  we  were  to 
be  blown  up  and  sunk  on  our  way  to  the  Pacific,  the 
first  attack  being  promised  for  Rio  and  the  second  in 
the  Straits  of  Magellan.  All  the  letters  that  I  saw 
were  anonymous,  dated  in  Canada,  and  named  either 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

the  Japanese  government  or  the  Japanese  as  the  ones 
who  were  going  to  do  us  up.  It  seemed  to  me  strange 
that  the  Japanese  government  should  tell  these  men 
without  names  in  Canada  when  and  how  they  were 
going  to  destroy  the  battleships  of  a  friendly  nation! 
And  I  am  free  to  confess  that  I  considered  the  whole 
story  unworthy  of  notice.  As  to  the  attack  to  be  made 
at  Rio,  the  channel  leading  into  the  harbour  was  to  be 
mined,  and  as  we  passed  over  them  the  mines  were  to 
send  us  all  to  our  last  account. 

Having  had  some  little  practice  in  planting  mines, 
I  was  sure  it  could  not  be  successfully  done  without 
considerable  outlay  of  money  and  equipment  of  ships, 
boats,  etc.,  and  all  this  must  be  done  without  the  con 
sent  of  a  friendly  government  -  to  whose,  capital  we 
were  about  paying  a  visit.  In  the  attack  to  be  made 
in  the  Straits  of  Magellan  the  mines  were  to  be 
secured  to  floating  driftwood,  and  as  we  steamed 
through  this  floating  timber  were  to  do  their  deadly 
work.  But  as  I  had  no  intention  whatever  of  running 
the  Atlantic  Fleet  over  driftwood  in  the  Straits — in 
fact,  I  never  saw  any  such  thing  there — I  gave  this 
story  even  less  thought  than  the  Rio  one.  One  of 
the  letters  also  placed  Japanese  submarines  in  the 
Straits. 

All  the  captains  and  flag  officers  had  been  informed 
of  the  foolish  stories  given  abbve,  and  directed  to  take 
all  proper  steps  for  the  protection  of  their  ships.  To 
take  any  real  steps,  such  as  might  lead  the  Brazilians  to 
think  that  we  for  a  moment  believed  ourselves  in  any 
danger,  would  be  an  insult  to  that  nation  which  could 
not  be  thought  of.  Merely  as  a  matter  of  form  I  sent 

424 


Foolish  Stories 

my  tender,  the  Yankton,  and  the  supply  ships  and  one 
collier  ahead  of  the  fleet,  so  that  they  might  explode 
any  mines  in  our  way ! 

On  January  i2th,  as  we  approached  the  entrance  to 
the  harbour,  the  Yankton  sent  a  wireless  message  that 
she  was  on  her  way  out  with  important  despatches  for 
me.  When  all  the  despatches  and  letters  had  been  read, 
I  found  only  one  item  of  importance :  I  was  warned  to 
look  out  carefully  for  the  safety  of  the  fleet,  as  an  at 
tack  was  threatened,  but  this  time  it  was  to  be  done  by 
anarchists,  and  not  by  the  Japanese.  Some  of  the  let 
ters  gave  a  list  of  the  men  who  were  to  blow  us  up, 
but  there  was  not  a  Japanese  name  on  the  list.  They 
were  all  Brazilians,  and,  as  it  turned  out  afterwards, 
several  of  them  were  among  the  most  respectable  busi 
ness  men  of  Rio!  The  chief  of  police  of  Rio  was 
looking  up  all  those  connected  with  the  plot,  and 
in  this  way  it  became  known,  the  names  made  public, 
etc. 

In  the  end  it  appeared  that  there  never  had  been 
any  plot  to  blow  the  fleet  up  or  harm  it  in  any  way, 
which  was  my  opinion  from  the  first.  But  on  the  the 
ory  that  where  there  is  smoke  there  must  be  fire,  it  was 
necessary  atfd  proper  that  every  possible  precaution 
should  be  taken,  and  this  was  done.  It  became  known 
that  a  vessel  was  loading  in  a  German  port  with  phos 
phorus  for  a  match  firm  in  Rio,  and  those  who  had  the 
story  in  hand  made  it  appear  that  this  cargo  was  to  be 
used  in  making  high  explosives,  with  which  to  destroy 
the  ships.  Just  how  this  was  to  be  done  was  not  ex 
plained — it  was  not  necessary,  as  the  interested  parties 
had  probably  received  their  pay  before  this  stage  of  the 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

game  was  reached.  Phosphorus  is  often  used  for  the 
destruction  of  water  bugs  and  roaches  on  seagoing 
ships,  and  this  cargo,  which  had  caused  so  much 
trouble,  or  at  least  a  considerable  part  of  it,  was  pur 
chased  by  the  Atlantic  Fleet  and  used  for  that  purpose. 


CHAPTER    XXXI 

AROUND   SOUTH    AMERICA 

WHEN  we  were  about  twenty  miles  from  the  en 
trance  to  the  harbour  we  were  met  by  a  division  of 
the  Brazilian  navy,  under  command  of  a  flag  officer, 
sent  out  to  welcome  us  and  escort  us  in.  Salutes  were 
fired,  messages  exchanged,  and  much  cheering  indulged 
in  while  the  bands  played  national  airs.  In  perfect 
formation  the  fleet  stood  into  the  beautiful  harbour 
and  received  the  hearty  welcome  of  the  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  people  who  had  assembled  to  greet  us. 
Amid  the  booming  of  the  saluting  guns,  the  music  of 
many  bands,  and  the  cheering  crowds,  the  "  White 
Messengers  of  Peace,"  as  Mr.  Roosevelt  called  us, 
passed  on  to  their  anchorage,  and  the  second  and 
longest  run  of  the  cruise  had  been  successfully  com 
pleted. 

As  soon  as  the  anchors  were  down  the  colliers, 
which  had  arrived  ahead  of  us,  were  called  alongside, 
and  coaling  began  at  once.  The  crews  all  knew  that  a 
generous  amount  of  liberty  was  waiting  for  them  when 
the  coal  had  been  taken  in  and  the  ships  cleaned  up  and 
made  tidy,  and  they  required  no  urging.  The  appear 
ance  of  the  ships  was  in  sharp  contrast  with  what  it 
had  been  at  Trinidad  before  sailing  from  that  port. 
Practically  all  the  coal  in  the  bunkers  had  been  con- 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

sumed  on  the  passage  except  in  the  Connecticut  class 
of  ships,  and  the  red  water-line  armour  belts  of  all  of 
them  showed  several  feet  above  the  water.  It  was  a 
fine  object  lesson  for  all  hands,  and  a  fair  warning  that 
if  we  were  ever  caught  in  this  empty  condition  on  the 
eve  of  battle  we  might  expect  much  serious  damage 
from  projectiles  entering  below  this  belt.  Many  offi 
cers  were  amused  afterwards  in  reading  the  testimony 
given  before  the  Senate  naval  committee  that  on  the 
arrival  of  the  fleet  at  Rio  the  Connecticut's  armour 
belt  was  completely  under  water!  Indeed,  there  was 
a  lot  of  testimony  given  at  that  time  before  the 
committee  that  caused  many  officers  to  smile  and 
wonder ! 

The  reception  of  our  fleet  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  was 
most  cordial  and  friendly  by  all  classes,  from  the 
President  of  the  Republic  to  the  smallest  shopkeeper. 
Brilliant  receptions  were  tendered  and  magnificent  balls 
and  dinners  given  by  officials  and  private  citizens, 
which  were  attended  by  all  the  officers  who  could  be 
spared  from  duty.  The  conduct  of  all  classes  was  such 
as  to  indicate  a  true  feeling  of  friendship,  and  I  believe 
this  was  general  throughout  the  country.  The  repre 
sentatives  of  the  two  great  republics  fraternised  and 
came  to  know  each  other  in  a  way  that  promises  well 
for  the  future  relations  of  the  two  countries.  The  en 
tertainments  were  lavish  and  the  festivities  such  as  to 
make  a  most  lasting  impression  on  all  our  people.  As 
I  was  in  the  hands  of  the  doctors  at  the  time,  I  re 
quested  Admiral  Thomas,  second  in  command,  to  rep 
resent  me  in  all  the  civil  functions,  and  it  is  unnecessary 
to  state  that  he  did  it  in  a  way  to  reflect  the  utmost 

428 


Arrangements  for  Shore  Leave 

credit  on  the  country  and  the  fleet.  The  navy  has  pro 
duced  few  men  the  equal  of  the  late  Rear-Admiral 
C.  M.  Thomas  in  all  that  goes  to  make  an  officer  and  a 
gentleman. 

The  question  of  how  best  to  manage  the  great  num 
ber  of  men  on  liberty  so  as  to  prevent  any  trouble  or 
scandal  was  one  that  required  careful  consideration. 
While  our  men,  as  a  rule,  are  self-respecting  and  well- 
behaved  while  on  shore,  there  will  always  be  found  a 
few  who  are  disposed  to  make  trouble,  and  in  a  case 
like  the  one  before  us,  where  neither  side  understood 
the  language  of  the  other,  a  small  row  could  quickly 
grow  into  a  serious  riot.  To  prevent  anything  of  the 
kind,  I  requested  through  the  proper  channels  that  I 
might  be  allowed  to  land  a  patrol  force  to  look  after 
our  own  men  and  act  with  the  police  of  the  city  in 
preventing  disorder. 

This  request  was  promptly  granted,  and  the  scheme 
worked  so  successfully  that  it  is  now  generally  fol 
lowed.  It  had  been  successfully  tried  at  Trinidad.  In 
stead  of  asking  or  allowing  the  police  force  of  the  city 
visited  to  handle  our  men,  I  sent  a  patrol  composed 
entirely  of  men  of  the  seaman  branch,  generally  mas 
ters  at  arms  and  other  petty  officers,  in  charge  of  a 
commissioned  officer.  Marines  were  never  sent,  be 
cause  the  men  would  like  nothing  better  than  to  have 
fun  with  them! 

When  the  patrol  was  landed,  the  officer  in  com 
mand  communicated  with  the  chief  of  police,  and,  as  a 
rule,  quartered  his  men  in  the  police  stations.  From 
this  point  the  city  or  town  was  easily  watched,  and  as 
soon  as  the  men  showed  any  disposition  to  make 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

trouble  they  were  marched  to  the  dock,  where  a  boat 
was  always  in  waiting,  and  taken  off  to  their  ships. 
There  was  no  disposition  to  resist  or  fight  with  this 
patrol,  for  the  men  knew  how  such  conduct  would  be 
treated !  During  the  entire  cruise  we  never  left  a  place 
where  the  men  had  been  landed  without  words  of  praise 
from  the  authorities  for  the  way  the  bluejackets  con 
ducted  themselves  and  the  way  our  patrol  was  handled. 
The  experience  for  the  young  officers  was  most  valu 
able. 

It  had  been  my  intention  to  sail  from  Rio  on  Janu 
ary  2ist,  but,  finding  that  a  mail  was  due  from  New 
York  on  the  following  day,  I  postponed  our  departure 
in  order  that  the  fifteen  thousand  officers  and  men 
might  have  the  last  words  from  home  before  starting 
on  the  long  run  to  Callao,  where  our  next  mail  was  due. 
When  the  mail  reached  us  on  the  22d  much  unfavour 
able  comment,  as  well  as  great  amusement,  was  caused 
in  the  fleet  by  the  announcement  that  a  pilot,  one 
"  Captain  Greene,"  who  had  served  on  an  army  trans 
port,  was  to  join  and  pilot  us  through  the  Straits 
of  Magellan.  Some  of  the  home  papers  printed  rather 
caustic  articles  protesting  against  this  humiliation  of 
the  navy,  and  giving  the  commander-in-chief  rather  a 
severe  lecture  on  his  contemplated  show  of  ignorance 
and  incompetency.  It  was  learned  afterwards  that 
some  retired  naval  officers  in  New  York  City  had  pro 
posed  the  publication  of  one  of  these  severe  articles. 
Good  souls!  They,  at  least,  with  their  knowledge  of 
the  naval  service,  should  have  known  how  silly  such  a 
proposition  was.  The  swivel-chair  habit  must  have 
affected  these  "  Sons  of  Rest "  seriously  before  they 

430 


Departure  from  Rio 

could  have  brought  themselves  to  such  a  state  of  mind. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  Captain  Greene,  if  there  ever  was 
such  a  person,  did  not  put  in  an  appearance,  which  was 
fortunate  for  him,  as  rather  a  cool  reception  would 
have  met  him  if  he  had. 

On  the  afternoon  of  January  22d,  in  the  midst  of  a 
tremendous  thunder-storm,  with  torrents  of  rain,  the 
fleet  got  under  way  and  stood  out  of  the  harbour,  being 
reviewed  by  President  Penna  and  a  distinguished  com 
pany  of  officials  as  we  passed  the  forts  at  the  entrance. 
All  Rio  seemed  to  be  afloat,  but  the  heavy  wind  squalls 
soon  drove  the  -small  craft  to  shelter  with  their  crowds 
of  enthusiastic,  cheering  people.  The  Brazilian  Fleet, 
which  had  carefully  attended  us  by  day  and  guarded  us 
by  night  against  the  threatened  anarchists'  attack,  was 
under  way  before  us  and  escorted  us  to  sea.  Many 
salutes  were  fired  and  friendly  messages  exchanged  be 
fore  the  Atlantic  Fleet  disappeared  in  the  mist  and  rain, 
after  the  most  notable  visit  ever  made  by  a  naval  force 
to  the  capital  of  this  prosperous  South  American  re 
public. 

The  flotilla  of  torpedo-boat  destroyers,  after  being 
put  in  complete  order  at  Rio  by  the  Panther,  had  been 
sent  on  ahead  to  make  a  visit  to  Buenos  Ayres.  The 
depth  of  water  in  this  harbour  was  not  sufficient  for 
the  battleships,  and  we  all  regretted  that  we  were  not 
to  visit  the  Argentine  Republic,  always  so  friendly  to 
our  country.  The  American  minister  at  Rio  had  noti 
fied  me  that  a  division  of  Argentine  ships  would  meet 
me  off  the  coast  of  that  country  to  exchange  greetings, 
and  on  Sunday,  just  before  noon,  I  sent  the  following 
wireless  message : 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

"To  Rear-Admiral  Oliva:  Fleet,  eight  o'clock, 
latitude  35  degrees  35  minutes  S. ;  longitude  52  de 
grees  40  minutes  W.  Steaming  south  31  degrees  W. 
magnetic;  speed  ten  knots." 

Two  hours  later  came  the  following  reply : 

"  To  Rear- Admiral  Evans :  The  commander  of  the 
San  Martin  Division  of  the  Argentine  Navy  salutes 
Rear-Admiral  Evans,  his  officers  and  men,  and  trans 
mits  to  him  the  position  of  the  Argentine  Division  or 
dered  to  meet  him  as  by  dead  reckoning  36  degrees  56 
minutes  S. ;  longitude  53  degrees  41  minutes  W.  Hip- 
olito  Oliva." 

Early  on  Monday,  after  the  exchange  of  very  cor 
dial  messages,  the  Argentine  ships — four  cruisers — ap 
peared  on  the  horizon  astern,  with  the  flag  officer  at  the 
head,  in  column  formation.  Steaming  at  twelve  knots, 
they  soon  drew  up  on  us,  and,  in  order  to  give  them  a 
good  look  at  us,  and  let  them  see  just  what  we  were  like, 
I  changed  our  cruising  formation  from  line  of  squadron 
at  half  interval  to  column,  and  in  this  formation,  with 
distances  perfectly  maintained,  bands  playing,  and 
crews  standing  at  attention,  our  new  friends  passed 
from  the  rear  of  the  column  to  the  head. 

As  the  flagship  of  Admiral  Oliva,  the  Belgrando, 
drew  up  abeam  of  the  Connecticut,  she  saluted  me, 
which  was  immediately  returned.  I  knew  of  no  prece 
dent  for  such  a  ceremony,  but  in  order  to  be  sure  of  not 
failing  in  courtesy,  hoisted  the  Argentine  flag  and 
saluted  with  twenty-one  guns,  which  salute  was,  of 
course,  promptly  returned.  In  passing  us  at  a  distance 
of  about  four  hundred  yards  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  Argentine  Division  had  had  a  fine  chance  to  see 

432 


In  the  Straits  of  Magellan 

what  our  ships  looked  like,  and  how  they  might  be  able 
to  make  the  Monroe  Doctrine,  which  Secretary  Root 
had  lately  talked  to  them  about,  appear  to  any  one  who 
wished  to  question  it.  Admiral  Oliva  courteously 
offered  to  transmit  any  message  I  might  have  for  my 
government,  and  immediately  changed  his  course  and 
stood  for  his  own  country.  His  ships  were  at  double 
distance,  admirably  handled,  and  appeared  trim  and 
very  businesslike. 

We  ran  into  foggy  weather  off  the  coast  of  Pata 
gonia  on  the  29th,  and  officers  and  men  were  shifted 
into  blue  uniforms ;  overcoats,  even,  were  very  welcome 
in  the  night  watches.  January  3ist  found  us  in  sight 
of  Cape  Virgin,  and,  as  the  weather-beaten  lighthouse 
bore  abeam,  the  following  unsigned  message  was 
picked  up  by  the  ever-watchful  wireless  operator: 

''  Welcome,  American  squadron,  distinguished." 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  fleet  anchored 
in  Possession  Bay,  in  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  to  wait 
over  night  for  favourable  weather  and  tide  for  the  run 
to  Sandy  Point. 

Long  before  reaching  Cape  Virgin  I  had  requested 
the  captain  of  the  flagship  and  his  navigator  to  submit 
to  me  a  chart  showing  the  courses  he  proposed  to  steer 
in  making  the  passage  through  the  Straits.  This  was 
done,  and,  after  giving  it  a  careful  overhauling  in  con 
sultation  with  my  chief  of  staff,  I  approved  it  and 
directed  that  it  be  carefully  followed. 

The  fleet  was  under  way  at  4  A.M.  on  February  ist, 
and  in  the  afternoon  anchored  in  line  of  squadron  off 
the  town  of  Punta  Arenas,  where  we  found  the  Chilean 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

cruiser  Chacabuco,  flying  the  flag  of  Admiral  Simpson, 
who  had  been  sent  to  the  Straits  to  welcome  us  in  the 
name  of  his  government.  He  had  courteously  given 
passage  to  the  American  minister  to  Chile,  who  came 
to  welcome  us  there,  as  we  were  not  to  stop  at  any 
other  Chilean  port.  Coaling  was,  of  course,  the  first 
thing  to  be  done,  but  while  it  was  going  on  there  was 
a  constant  round  of  entertainments  and  many  official 
calls  to  be  made  and  returned,  all  of  which  was  at 
tended  to  by  Admiral  Thomas. 

Punta  Arenas,  the  most  southern  city  of  the  Amer 
ican  continent,  so  far  as  we  know,  may  at  least  boast  of 
its  latitude  if  of  nothing  else.  It  has  been  said — and  I 
suspect  truly — that  one  can  find  here  deserters  from 
every  naval  service  in  the  world  and,  in  addition,  men 
of  every  nationality,  who,  for  one  reason  or  another, 
prefer  to  keep  out  of  range  of  the  Pinkertons  and 
police  generally.  If  they  came  here  for  pleasure,  it  is 
difficult  to  understand  their  point  of  view,  and  if  they 
came  to  find  a  loafing  place,  for  idleness  as  a  pastime, 
they  certainly  were  badly  advised.  Of  all  the  places  I 
have  seen,  Sandy  Point  appears  to  be  about  the  last  in 
which  to  make  a  living. 

From  the  water  the  town  has  the  appearance  of  a 
tropical  town,  composed  of  small  corrugated-iron 
houses,  but  without  the  show  of  vegetation  which 
counts  for  so  much  in  the  general  effect  of  tropical 
places.  It  has  the  advantage,  however,  of  an  excellent 
water  supply,  and  the  climate  is  all  that  could  be  desired 
by  those  who  like  cold  weather  all  the  time.  The  sum 
mer  is  short  and  never  hot,  and  the  winters  long  and 
very  cold.  Hard  gales  of  wind,  with  plenty  of  snow 

434 


At  Punta  Arenas 

and  ice,  are  of  daily  occurrence,  and  yet  the  population 
steadily  increases — not  by  reason  of  natural  increase  or 
growth,  but  because  of  the  influx  of  the  gold  seekers 
who  have  heard  of  the  great  value  of  the  far-southern 
mines,  only  recently  discovered. 

I  found  that  since  I  had  last  passed  through  the 
Straits  in  the  Yorktown,  seventeen  years  ago,  the  town 
of  Punta  Arenas  had  more  than  doubled  in  size  and 
now  had  over  12,000  inhabitants.  Very  rich  gold 
mines  have  been  discovered  on  both  sides  of  the 
Straits,  and  are  being  profitably  worked ;  vast  flocks  of 
sheep  are  raised  on  the  mountain  sides,  and  several 
large  refrigerating  plants  ship  frozen  meats  to  Europe 
and  South  American  markets,  which  accounts  for  the 
growth  of  the  place  and  promises  well  for  its  future. 

I  had  thought,  probably  hoped,  that  there  would  be 
no  entertainment  to  face  at  Sandy  Point,  but  in  this  I 
was  mistaken,  for  even  here  one  more  link  was  added 
to  the  chain  of  hearty  welcome  that  was  to  extend  to 
the  full  length  of  the  cruise.  The  governor  first  gave  a 
reception  at  his  beautiful  home  on  shore,  to  which  all 
officers  were  invited.  Then  followed  a  dinner  on  the 
Chacabuco  by  Admiral  Simpson  to  the  flag  officers,  and 
finally  a  dinner  on  board  the  same  ship  for  the  petty 
officers  of  the  American  fleet. 

The  government  of  Chile  in  all  this  showed  the 
warm  feeling  of  friendship  she  entertains  for  the  great 
republic  of  the  north,  and  we  fully  appreciated  the  feel 
ing  and  the  unusual  way  in  which  it  was  expressed. 
Among  those  who  were  anxious  to  entertain  us  was  a 
colonel  in  the  German  army  and  his  charming  wife, 
who  had  come  all  the  way  from  the  Chilean  capital  to 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

welcome  us.  He  was,  and  is  yet,  I  believe,  preparing 
the  army  of  one  of  the  smaller  South  American  repub 
lics  to  surprise  her  larger  neighbors  when  the  war 
which  all  are  expecting  actually  comes. 

Large  liberty  parties  were  sent  on  shore  from  the 
ships  which  were  not  coaling,  and  the  men  had  a  good 
opportunity  to  stretch  their  legs  and  look  the  town 
over.  Some  kind  friend — I  afterwards  heard  it  was 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce — had  put  up  a  large  sign 
which  read,  "  Special  Prices  for  the  Fleet/'  and  they 
were  special — specially  high — but  the  American  blue 
jacket  has  somehow  the  faculty  of  guessing  at  the  cor 
rect  value  of  things,  and  after  the  kindly  warning  of 
the  sign  he  was  on  his  guard  not  to  pay  more  for  furs 
than  they  were  worth,  and  furs  were  about  the  only 
article,  except  postcards,  offered  for  sale. 

Among  the  officers  of  the  Chacabuco  was  a  young 
lieutenant  who  had  just  completed  a  survey  of  a  part 
of  Smythe's  Channel,  where  he  had  found  some  anchor 
ages  for  torpedo  boats  and  other  small  vessels,  hereto 
fore  unknown.  This  survey  had  not  yet  been  charted, 
and  when  the  lieutenant  kindly  offered  to  accompany 
the  flotilla,  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Commander 
Cone,  I  gladly  accepted  his  offer,  and  he  was  made 
comfortable  on  the  flag  boat  and  afterwards  landed  at 
a  Chilean  port.  The  information  given  by  him  was  of 
great  value  to  our  officers. 

At  eleven  o'clock,  the  night  of  February  7th,  the 
fleet  got  under  way  and  stood  to  the  westward  through 
the  Straits.  To  guard  us  against  the  threatened  sub 
marines  and  driftwood  mines  the  destroyers  were  sta 
tioned  on  either  flank  of  the  battleships,  while  the 

436 


On  the  Pacific 

auxiliaries  followed  in  rear  of  the  column.  The  Chaca- 
buco,  Admiral  Simpson's  flagship,  acting  as  escort, 
took  station  on  the  starboard  beam  of  the  Connecticut, 
my  flagship.  The  battleships  were  four  hundred  yards 
apart  from  foremast  to  foremast  in  each  division,  and 
the  divisions  at  double  distance,  or  eight  hundred 
yards.  In  this  formation  we  passed  through  the 
Straits  without  trouble  or  accident,  though  at  times 
the  fog.  and  mist  shut  out  the  shores  entirely  and  even 
the  ships  from  each  other.  When  in  the  proper  position, 
signal  was  made  to  the  destroyers  to  proceed  on  duty 
assigned,  which  meant  that  they  were  to  part  company 
with  the  fleet  and,  passing  through  Smythe's  Channel, 
go  on  their  way  north.  About  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  the  fog  shut  in  thick,  and  we  had  to  feel  our 
way  with  the  lead.  At  9  P.M.  the  long  Pacific  swell 
told  us  just  where  we  were,  and  soon  after  the  course 
was  changed  for  Valparaiso. 

On  our  arrival  at  Punta  Arenas  both  Admiral 
Simpson  and  the  American  minister  delivered  mes 
sages  from  the  President  of  Chile  requesting  me  to 
visit  Valparaiso  or,  if  that  was  impossible,  to  come  close 
enough  to  the  harbour  to  let  the  people  see  the  fleet. 
Our  itinerary  called  for  a  straight  run  from  the  Straits 
of  Magellan  to  Callao,  but  I  felt  that  I  should  comply 
with  the  request  of  President  Montt  for  many  reasons, 
and  was  confident  of  the  approval  of  my  government  if 
I  did  so.  I  informed  Admiral  Simpson  that  I  would 
stand  close  into  the  harbour  of  Valparaiso,  pass  at  re 
duced  speed  in  front  of  the  city,  and  that  I  should  con 
sider  it  an  honour  if  the  President  could  be  afloat, 
review  the  fleet,  and  receive  a  salute.  At  the  same  time 
29  437 


An  Admiral's  Log 

I  arranged  the  day  and  hour  when  we  would  be  there, 
so  that  extra  trains  might  bring  to  the  city  those  who 
desired  to  come.  All  this  was  wired  to  the  President 
at  Santiago,  and  he  expressed  his  thanks  and  satisfac 
tion  at  our  action. 

For  several  days  after  clearing  the  Straits  the 
weather  continued  thick  or  foggy,  but  the  compasses 
had  been  so  carefully  adjusted,  both  at  Trinidad  and  at 
Punta  Arenas,  and  the  revolutions  of  the  propellers  so 
standardised  on  the  way  from  Hampton  Roads,  that 
the  ships  kept  accurate  positions  without  the  least 
trouble.  When  the  fog  lifted  they  were  all  in  place  as 
if  tied  on  a  line.  On  the  I2th  Admiral  Simpson  ran 
into  one  of  his  home  ports  for  coal,  and  on  the  I3th 
rejoined  the  fleet,  bringing  with  him  a  flotilla  of  tor 
pedo  boats  as  an  additional  force  to  act  as  our  escort. 
On  the  1 4th,  at  the  exact  hour  appointed,  the  Atlantic 
Fleet  passed  across  the  harbour  of  Valparaiso,  led  by 
the  Chacabuco,  while  the  Chilean  torpedo  boats  formed 
on  our  starboard  beam  and  kept  all  small  craft  out  of 
our  way.  So  perfectly  was  the  whole  thing  arranged 
and  carried  out  that  not  a  single  boat  of  any  kind 
passed  beyond  the  prescribed  line. 

When  we  were  all  in  front  of  the  city  and  very  close 
in,  signal  was  made  to  salute  the  Chilean  flag,  and  at 
the  same  instant  the  sixteen  ships  fired  the  first  gun. 
Our  movements  had  been  so  timed  that  the  last  gun  of 
the  salute  was  fired  in  time  to  give  a  few  minutes'  in 
terval  before  we  should  have  to  fire  the  personal  salute 
to  President  Montt,  who  was,  with  other  officials  of 
the  government,  on  board  the  training  ship  General 
Banquedano,  anchored  well  ahead  of  us.  The  crowds 

438 


Reviewed  by  President  of  Chili 

of  people  from  all  parts  of  the  country  covered  the 
hills  about  Valparaiso.  On  one  prominent  grass-cov 
ered  point  a  company  of  sailors  in  white  uniform  was 
so  arranged  as  to  spell  the  word  "  Welcome,' '  which 
was  afterwards  changed  to  "  Farewell."  The  whole 
scene  was  mos,t  beautiful  and  impressive. 

As  the  Connecticut,  leading  the  fleet,  approached 
the  General  Banquedano,  the  rails  were  manned  and  a 
salute  of  twenty-one  guns  fired,  while  the  guards  pre 
sented  arms  and  the  band  played  the  Chilean  national 
air.  The  same  ceremonies  were  observed  by  each  ship 
as  she  passed  the  President,  and  as  the  Kentucky,  the 
rear  ship  of  the  column,  fired  her  last  gun  the  flags 
came  down  together,  and  all  took  up  the  cruising  speed 
of  eleven  knots.  It  was  estimated  that  over  five  hun 
dred  thousand  people  witnessed  the  review.  Many  cor 
dial  messages  were  exchanged,  and  it  was  most  gratify 
ing  for  me  to  know  that  the  good  feeling  between  the 
two  countries  had  been  restored  in  a  measure  through 
the  appearance  of  a  splendid  fleet  which  I  had  the 
honour  to  command,  for  my  last  visit  to  this  port  in  a 
small  gunboat  had  not  been  as  friendly  as  could  be 
desired.  One  more  South  American  republic  had  been 
afforded  an  opportunity  to  see  how  well  prepared  we 
were  to  enforce  the  Monroe  Doctrine  if  any  one  wished 
to  test  it. 

On  the  afternoon  of  July  iQth  the  Peruvian  cruiser 
Bolognesi  announced  by  wireless  that  she  had  been  sent 
by  the  President  of  Peru  to  meet  us  and  escort  us  to 
our  anchorage  in  the  harbour  of  Callao.  Our  position 
was  made  known  to  her,  and  after  a  few  hours  she 
joined  us,  and  we  anchored  in  the  inner  harbour  at  8.30 

439 


An  Admiral's  Log 

A.M.  of  the  2Oth.  Messages  of  courtesy  were  ex 
changed,  salutes  fired,  and  official  calls  were  made, 
when  the  Peruvians  proceeded  with  an  elaborate  pro 
gramme  of  entertainment  carefully  prepared  to  show 
their  well-known  admiration  and  friendship  for  the 
United  States.  For  ten  days  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  fleet  were  simply  swamped  with  kindness  and  hos 
pitality.  I' am  sure  nothing  like  it  was  ever  before  ex 
perienced  by  the  ships  of  any  nation.  The  President  of 
the  republic  twice  visited  the  fleet,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  27th  boarded  the  Bolognesi  and  stood  out  to  sea 
to  review  us  as  we  passed  on  our  way  to  the  north. 
Our  reception  had  been  all  that  a  most  generous  and 
friendly  people  could  give  to  their  neighbours. 


CHAPTER    XXXII 

ON   THE   PACIFIC    COAST 

AT  8.30  A.M.,  March  I2th,  the  fleet  anchored  in 
Magdalena  Bay  two  days  ahead  of  schedule  time  and 
actually  in  better  condition  in  all  respects  than  when  we 
left  Hampton  Roads.  The  long  cruise  had  been  of 
great  value  to  all  hands,  much  had  been  learned,  and 
most  valuable  experience  gained  in  many  ways.  One 
captain  very  aptly  put  it  when  he  called  on  me  and  I 
said  to  him : 

"  Captain,  I  hope  your  officers  have  learned  some 
thing  on  the  cruise." 

He  replied : 

"  Thirteen  thousand  miles  at  four  hundred  yards, 
night  and  day,  including  the  Straits  of  Magellan;  yes, 
they  have  learned  a  lot !  " 

The  moment  the  anchors  were  down  a  large  gang 
of  men,  under  direction  of  the  able  and  tireless  fleet 
ordnance  officer,  Lieutenant-Commander  McLean,  be 
gan  assembling  the  rafts  and  getting  the  targets  ready 
for  use.  They  were  not  delayed  in  their  work  by  any 
cheering  crowds  or  offers  of  generous  hospitality,  for  a 
more  desolate,  quiet  spot  it  was  never  my  misfortune 
to  visit.  There  were,  it  is  true,  some  shacks  on  shore 
which  offered  bad  brandy  and  worse  cigars  for  sale, 
but  we  were  not  in  search  of  these  articles  and  our 

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An  Admiral's  Log 

own  supply  ships  were  on  hand,  and  from  them  we 
obtained  every  article  necessary  for  health  and  com 
fort. 

We  anchored  on  Saturday,  and  on  Monday  morn 
ing  the  first  range  was  ready,  and  firing  began  on  that 
day.  Before  the  end  of  the  week  all  the  ranges  were 
ready  and  one  division  of  ships  was  firing.  It  was 
hard  work  day  and  night,  but  the  men  worked  willingly 
and  great  progress  was  made.  The  bay  was  full  of 
splendid  fish,  and  the  shore  in  many  places  abounded 
in  wild  fowl  of  various  kinds,  so  that  the  officers  and 
men  who  could  be  spared  from  duty  had  fine  sport 
and  supplied  their  tables  with  a  generous  amount  of 
fish  and  game. 

It  is,  perhaps,  a  waste  of  time  to  surmise  what  might 
have  been  the  fate  or  present  condition  of  Magdalena 
Bay  if  the  United  States  had  secured  it  with  the  rest  of 
California.  That  it  is  one  of  the  most  admirable  bodies 
of  water  anywhere  in  the  world  for  purposes  of  naval 
drill,  all  who  have  seen  it  admit,  and  it  is  but  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  the  gallant  naval  officer  who  really  gave 
us  California,  had  he  dreamed  of  a  Panama  Canal, 
would  have  recognised  the  strategic  value  of  this  great 
bay  and  secured  it  for  his  country. 

With  three  great  naval  stations  on  the  Pacific  coast 
— Bremerton,  Mare  Island,  and  Magdalena  Bay — the 
control  of  the  commerce  of  the  Pacific  would  have  been 
more  easily  assured  in  case  the  navy  were  ever  called 
on  to  decide  the  question.  The  outlook  now  is  that  this 
is  one  of  the  questions  to  be  settled  by  the  laws  of 
trade — a  question  of  dollars  and  cents,  so  to  speak — but 
business  methods  are  sometimes  of  such  a  questionable 

442 


At  Magdalena  Bay 

character  that  military  force  is  necessary  to  correct  or 
uphold  them. 

Looking  forward  to  the  day  when  ships  may  pass 
from  ocean  to  ocean  through  a  canal  owned  and  oper 
ated  by  the  United  States,  it  seems  only  good  policy  to 
seek  to  acquire  by  purchase  this  important  station. 
And  this  should  not  be  difficult,  for  it  is  of  no  value  to 
Mexico,  the  present  owner,  for  she  has  no  navy  to 
speak  of,  and  it  seems  impossible  to  imagine  why  she 
should  ever  create  one. 

The  lieutenant-governor  of  the  province  was  on 
board  a  small  Mexican  gunboat  anchored  in  the  bay 
on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  of  the  fleet.  He  had  come 
to  extend  a  welcome  to  us,  and  he  did  it  in  a  most 
hearty  and  friendly  way.  When  he  had  dined  the  flag 
officers  and  as  many  of  the  captains  as  could  be  seated 
in  his  limited  quarters,  a  return  dinner  was  given  him 
and  his  officers,  and  a  few  days  later  he  was  taken  on 
board  a  battleship  to  witness  target  firing. 

I  think  he  and  those  with  him  realised,  as  did  all 
on  the  west  coast  who  saw  the  Atlantic  Fleet,  that  the 
control  of  the  Pacific  and  the  protection  of  the  coast 
was  absolute  so  long  as  this  fleet  remained.  President 
Roosevelt  had  made  this  point  very  clear  to  all  the 
world,  and  I  think  it  was  time  to  do  so. 

Among  the  inhabitants  of  Man-of-War  Cove,  Mag 
dalena  Bay,  there  was  but  one  American  family.  The 
head  of  the  family  was  in  charge  of  a  ranch  of  some 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres  belonging  to  an 
American  company.  The  wife  and  the  daughter  were 
his  companions,  and  certainly  showed  their  devotion  by 
remaining  in  this  lonely,  barren  spot.  All  the  fresh 

443 


An  Admiral's  Log 

water  used  by  them  had  to  be  brought  in  breakers  a 
distance  of  sixty  miles  by  sail  boat.  For  food  they 
had  plenty  of  fresh  fish,  but  the  rest  of  their  diet  was 
from  tins.  News  of  the  outside  world  is  brought  in 
only  occasionally. 

Since  our  ships  make  frequent  visits  to  the  bay,  al 
ways  by  permission  of  the  Mexican  government,  the 
lot  of  these  good  people  is  not  so  hard.  Any  attempt 
to  supply  them  with  anything  in  the  food  line,  how 
ever,  is  difficult  on  account  of  the  local  custom-house, 
but  I  found  water  and  ice  on  the  free  list,  and  I  sup 
plied  them  and  the  few  Mexicans  on  the  beach  with 
these  luxuries. 

During  the  stay  of  the  fleet  at  Magdalena  Bay  our 
wireless  outfit  was  severely  taxed.  We  had  a  very 
large  amount  of  official  matter  to  be  sent  to  Washing 
ton  every  night,  and  in  addition  those  representing  the 
various  news  associations  were  anxious  to  get  their 
news  through  in  time  for  the  morning  editions  of  the 
newspapers.  The  Point  Loma  wireless  station  at  San 
Diego,  nine  hundred  miles  away,  had  to  handle  all  this 
matter,  and  it  was  a  severe  test  of  their  efficiency,  but 
they  accomplished  it  somehow.  From  our  end  of  the 
line  we  had  to  divide  up  the  time — so  many  hours  for 
official  business — and  then  another  ship,  the  Minne 
sota  or  the  Kansas,  would  take  hold  of  the  press  de 
spatches  and  rush  them  through.  Of  course,  there  was 
some  growling,  but  as  a  whole  the  work  was  satisfac 
torily  done. 

While  at  Magdalena  Bay  the  amount  of  mail  con 
cerning  the  different  entertainments  for  the  fleet  on  the 
west  coast  was  enormous.  The  time  of  arrival  and 

444 


Arrangement  for  San  Francisco 

stay  at  each  port  had  been  published  as  soon  as  word 
was  received  from  the  Department  in  Washington,  and 
all  the  different  committees  from  a  dozen  or  more  ports 
wrote  to  tell  just  what  they  intended  to  do  for  us  and 
what  they  wanted  us  to  do  for  them.  Of  course,  this 
meant  much  troublesome  working  out  of  details,  but 
fortunately  for  me  I  had  on  my  staff  some  of  the  ablest 
officers  in  the  navy — men  who  could  tackle  successfully 
that  or  any  other  problem. 

The  arrangements  to  be  made  for  San  Francisco 
were  more  complicated  and  difficult  than  for  any  other 
port,  so  Mr.  Frank  Symmes,  the  chairman  of  the  com 
mittee  on  reception  of  the  fleet  for  that  city,  came  down 
to  Magdalena  Bay  and  spent  several  days  on  the  Con 
necticut.  During  his  visit  my  chief  of  staff,  Captain 
Ingersoll,  and  my  secretary,  Lieutenant-Commander 
Chandler,  went  over  the  whole  subject  with  him  and 
made  all  arrangements,  so  that  when  he  went  back  he 
was  able  to  report  to  his  people  just  what  was  to  be 
done. 

On  April  loth  the  fleet  left  Magdalena  Bay  for 
God's  country  once  more.  Target  practice  had  been 
completed,  the  ships  coaled  and  painted,  and  every 
thing  made  ready  for  the  wonderful  reception  await 
ing  officers  and  men  at  the  ports  of  southern  Califor 
nia.  The  records  showed  that  every  ship  in  the  fleet 
except  one  had  improved  in  accuracy  and  rapidity  of 
fire  since  the  last  record  practice,  proving  beyond  ques 
tion  that  we  could  have  engaged  an  enemy  any  hour 
after  passing  the  Straits  of  Magellan  with  a  fair  hope 
of  success,  notwithstanding  our  green  recruits,  most 
of  whom  were  now  strong,  handy  sailormen. 

445 


An  Admiral's  Log 

I  had  been  compelled  after  the  target  practice  to 
leave  the  fleet  temporarily  and  seek  relief  from  my 
sufferings  at  Paso  Robles  Hot  Springs.  Admiral 
Thomas,  as  senior  officer  present,  assumed  command, 
and  in  the  most  admirable  manner  conducted  the  big 
sixteen  up  the  coast,  where  they  received  from  the 
warm-hearted,  hospitable  people  of  California  and  the 
west  the  most  wonderful  reception  that  has  ever  been 
extended  to  the  naval  force  of  any  nation.  The  offi 
cers  and  men  of  the  fleet  will  never  forget  and  will 
always  recall  with  gratitude  the  splendid  hospitality  ac 
corded  to  them  by  their  warm-hearted  countrymen 
from  San  Diego  to  San  Francisco. 

On  the  way  to  Paso  Robles,  General  Chaffee  and  a 
committee  of  citizens  from  Los  Angeles  boarded  the 
train  and  talked  over  arrangements  for  the  reception 
of  the  fleet  at  that  port.  I  gave  orders  for  the  Yank- 
ton  to  be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  general  and  his 
friends  when  the  fleet  was  sighted  off  San  Diego,  so 
he  could  consult  in  comfort  with  Admiral  Thomas  and 
arrange  all  details.  This  plan  was  carried  out,  and 
the  perfect  manner  of  the  reception  in  all  its  wonder 
ful  details  was  but  the  natural  result  of  the  labours  of 
two  such  remarkable  men  as  Thomas  and  Chaffee.  The 
mere  mention  of  Chaffee's  name  with  any  enterprise 
is  a  guarantee  of  its  success,  and  we  all  know  what 
Charley  Thomas  was. 

From  my  beautiful  apartment  at  the  Hot  Springs  I 
was  in  direct  communication  by  wire  and  telephone 
with  Admiral  Thomas  as  soon  as  he  arrived  at  San 
Diego,  on  the  afternoon  of  April  i4th.  Able  surgeons, 
professional  skill,  loving  hearts,  and  willing  hands  did 

446 


In  Southern  California 

all  that  could  be  done  to  bring  me  back  to  Health, 
so  that  I  might  be  present  when  the  fleet  arrived, 
but  the  damage  was  too  severe  to  be  repaired  in 
so  short  a  time,  and  I  was  reluctantly  forced  to  give 
it  up. 

Admiral  Thomas  received  for  me  the  beautiful  jew 
elled  box  containing  the  key  to  the  city  gates  and  the 
freedom  of  the  city,  and  also  the  sword  presented  by 
the  Grand  Army  posts  of  southern  California  and  the 
Morgan  Post  Confederate  Veterans.  God  bless  you, 
old  white  heads!  That  sword  will  make  me  feel  a  lit 
tle  moist  about  the  eyes  as  long  as  I  live. 

Governor  Gillett,  with  his  full  staff,  received  Ad 
miral  Thomas  at  San  Diego  and  extended  to  the  fleet 
the  official  welcome  of  the  State  of  California.  The 
people  of  all  classes  offered  the  unofficial  welcome,  and 
that  it  came  from  the  hearts  of  a  loving,  patriotic  peo 
ple  no  one  for  a  moment  could  doubt. 

Officers  and  men  alike  felt  that  once  more  they 
were  among  their  own  people,  and  however  grand  and 
hospitable  our  reception  had  been  in  foreign  ports,  this, 
after  all,  was  the  true  home-coming.  The  stay  of  the 
fleet  at  San  Diego  was  for  only  four  days,  but  during 
that  time  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people  had  an  op 
portunity  to  see  the  ships  and  the  men  who  manned 
them. 

On  April  i8th  the  sixteen  white  ships  anchored 
within  striking  distance  of  Los  Angeles,  the  first  di 
vision  at  San  Pedro,  the  second  at  Long  Beach,  the 
third  at  Santa  Monica,  and  the  fourth  at  Redondo. 

The  good  people  of  Los  Angeles  did  not  ask  the 
men  to  parade  on  shore,  but  they  said,  "  Come  and  see 

447 


An  Admiral's  Log 

us  and  let  us  entertain  you !  "  The  men  went — three 
thousand  five  hundred  of  them  every  day — and  this 
number  sat  down  to  most  excellent  and  wonderful  din 
ners.  Five  thousand  pounds  of  stall-fed  beef,  barbe 
cued  and  served  with  chile  con  carne;  five  hundred 
pounds  of  Spanish  beans,  three  hundred  pounds  of 
fresh  butter,  hot  rolls  by  the  thousand,  and  two  splen 
did  navel  oranges  for  each  man!  This  was  one  of  the 
things  Los  Angeles  did  for  the  men  of  the  fleet,  and 
the  ladies  of  the  city  served  the  meals. 

On  the  5th  of  May  I  rejoined  the  fleet,  and  had  the 
honour  and  pleasure  of  leading  it  through  the  Golden 
Gate  on  the  following  day.  Two  new  battleships 
joined  off  the  lightship  on  the  night  of  the  5th,  so  that 
the  fleet  consisted  of  eighteen  battleships,  besides  the 
flotilla  of  destroyers  and  the  auxiliaries,  when  we 
steamed  to  our  anchorage  in  the  beautiful  harbour  of 
San  Francisco.  Words  cannot  describe  the  wonderful 
sight  when  this  fleet  was  joined  by  the  ships  of  the 
Pacific  Fleet,  under  Admiral  Dayton,  and  the  whole 
force  stood  up  the  harbour,  made  a  long,  graceful  turn, 
and  anchored  in  line  of  squadron. 

On  the  7th  of  May  I  was  able  to  ride  in  the  parade 
through  the  streets  of  San  Francisco,  escorted  by  the 
Salt  Lake  City  high-school  cadets,  who  had  come  a 
long  distance  to  do  me  that  honour.  The  cheering 
crowds,  composed  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people 
from  the  country  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  were 
most  enthusiastic  in  their  welcome  and  did  everything 
in  their  power  to  show  their  appreciation  of  the  men 
who  had  come  fourteen  thousand  miles  to  assure  them 
that  they  were  part  of  the  United  States  and  would 

448 


In  San  Francisco 

receive  the  same  protection  in  case  of  necessity  as  the 
people  of  the  east. 

The  doctors  decided  for  me  that  I  must  relinquish 
my  great  command,  and  on  May  9th  my  flag  came 
down,  and  Rear-Admiral  C.  M.  Thomas  took  my  place. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII 

ON    THE   RETIRED   LIST 

THE  great  fleet  committed  to  my  care  had  safely 
completed  the  first  stage  of  its  wonderful  journey,  and 
would  complete  the  rest  of  it  just  as  well  without  me 
as  with  me  in  command,  but  to  say  that  I  was  content 
to  leave  it  would  not  be  telling  the  truth.  That  I  had 
to  relinquish  command  was  one  of  the  sorest  disap 
pointments  of  my  life,  and  it  was  only  at  the  urgent 
advice  of  the  doctors  that  I  did  so.  They  warned  me 
that  if  I  continued  in  active  service  I  would  probably 
lose  my  life. 

Mr.  Roosevelt  had  told  me  at  Hampton  Roads  that 
I  was  to  continue  in  command  until  the  fleet  returned 
to  an  Atlantic  port.  When  it  was  impossible  for  me  to 
do  so,  the  following  letter  from  him  gave  me  great 
comfort : 

THE  WHITE  HOUSE, 
WASHINGTON,  March  23,  1908. 
MY  DEAR  ADMIRAL  : 

It  is  with  very  great  regret  that,  at  your  own  re 
quest,  I  relieve  you  from  command.  You  have  now 
practically  finished  your  active  service  in  the  United 
States  Navy,  and  you  have  brought  your  long  and 
honourable  career,  identified  to  a  peculiar  degree  with 
the  whole  history  of  the  Navy,  to  a  close  by  an  achieve 
ment  which  marks  the  entrance  of  the  United  States 

450 


The  President's  Congratulations 

into  the  rank  of  naval  powers  of  the  first-class.  In  your 
early  youth,  as  a  young  officer,  you  won  a  reputation 
for  signal  gallantry  in  the  Civil  War.  You  have  closed 
your  career  by  conducting  a  great  battle  fleet  from  the 
North  Atlantic  to  the  North  Pacific  in  a  manner  which 
has  shown  you  to  be  a  master  of  your  profession.  The 
fleet  comes  to  San  Francisco  in  better  shape  than  when 
it  left  Hampton  Roads — better  fit  for  service  in  every 
way;  and  the  officers  and  men  owe  no  small  part  of 
their  improvement  in  their  profession  to  the  mastery 
of  your  profession  which  your  handling  of  the  fleet  has 
shown. 

With  thanks,  congratulations,  and  good  wishes,  be 
lieve  me, 

Sincerely  yours, 

THEODORE   ROOSEVELT. 
Rear-Admiral  Robley  D.  Evans,  U.  S.  N.f 
Commander-in-Chief  North  Atlantic  Fleet, 
Care  Navy  Department. 

The  officials  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Com 
pany  and  the  officers  of  the  San  Francisco  reception 
committee  arranged  for  my  transportation  to  my  home, 
and  the  trip  east  was  made  with  great  comfort.  My 
wife,  one  of  my  daughters,  my  son,  and  three  members 
of  my  staff  accompanied  me,  and  the  car  was  furnished 
with  every  luxury.  The  faithful  surgeon,  McDonald, 
who  had  cared  for  me  on  the  cruise,  was  still  with  me, 
and  did  all  that  medical  skill  could  do  to  relieve  my 
suffering.  When  the  train  had  started  from  Oakland 
I  was  told  of  the  death  of  my  only  grandson,  Robley 
Evans  Sewall,  son  of  my  daughter  Virginia,  wife  of 
Mr.  Harold  Sewall,  of  Boston.  My  namesake  had 
been  dead  a  week,  and  yet  not  a  word  or  intimation  of 
the  sad  news  had  been  allowed  to  reach  me  because  of 


An  Admiral's  Log 

the  work  I  had  to  do  and  for  fear  of  its  effect  on  me. 
How  those  about  me  managed  to  keep  every  mention 
of  the  child's  death  out  of  the  newspapers,  and  above 
all  how  they  kept  smiling  faces  for  me  when  their 
hearts  were  breaking,  may  not  be  told  here.  When  the 
cruel  blow  came  the  blue  all  went  out  of  my  sky,  and  it 
was  my  turn  to  face  with  a  smile  the  crowds  that 
cheered  me  on  my  way.  That  the  precious  young  life 
around  which  so  many  hopes  centred  should  be  taken 
is  one  of  those  mysteries  which  may  be  solved  in  the 
world  to  come;  certainly  it  never  can  be  in  this. 

At  every  station  where  the  train  stopped,  in  the 
daytime  or  early  evening,  the  people  gathered  to  wish 
me  a  speedy  recovery  and  thank  me  for  what  I  had 
done  in  taking  the  fleet  on  its  long  cruise.  In  many 
places  I  found  that  the  public  schools  had  given  a  holi 
day,  so  that  the  children  might  have  an  .opportunity  to 
see  me,  and  they  were  certainly  an  attractive  sight  as 
they  gathered  about  my  car.  The  bright  young  faces 
made  my  heart  glad,  but  the  most  impressive  thing  of 
all  was  the  fact  that  in  every  case  they  carried  the  flag 
of  their  country  and  seemed  to  feel  the  importance  and 
dignity  of  doing  so.  All  of  these  young  people  had 
made  the  mistake  of  giving  too  much  credit  to  one  man 
for  the  cruise  of  the  Atlantic  Fleet,  and  the  same  mis 
take  had  been  generally  made  by  all  the  people.  I  did 
what  I  could  to  correct  this  by  telling  them,  whenever 
I  could,  that  one  man,  no  matter  how  able  and  willing 
he  might  be,  could  not  take  one  battleship  anywhere, 
much  less  could  he  take  sixteen;  that  it  had  required 
the  best  effort  of  fifteen  thousand  officers  and  men  to 
bring  the  fleet  safely  from  Hampton  Roads  to  San 

452 


The  Enthusiasm  of  the  West 

Francisco,  and  that  every  one  of  them  should  have  due 
credit  for  his  work. 

As  we  passed  through  the  middle  west  the  enthusi 
asm  of  the  people  was  very  marked,  but  as  we  came 
through  the  eastern  states  this  gradually  diminished 
until  we  reached  Baltimore,  where  it  was  nothing. 
This  was  the  natural  result  of  circumstances.  In  the 
east  naval  officers  and  battleships  are  seen  every  day, 
and  their  comings  and  goings  make  little,  if  any,  im 
pression,  but  in  the  west  this  is  not  the  case,  and  the 
movement  of  the  fleet  from  ocean  to  ocean  meant  much 
more  to  the  people  of  the  country  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  than  it  did  to  those  east  of  them.  The  peo 
ple  of  the  Pacific  coast  states  had  been  greatly  dis 
turbed  by  the  rumours  of  war  with  Japan,  and  these 
foolish  rumours  had  spread  and  carried  their  disturb 
ing  effects  to  the  whole  country  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
When  the  fleet  had  passed  the  Straits  of  Magellan  these 
rumours  died  at  once,  and  when  the  people  actually 
saw  the  ships  and  the  splendid  men  who  were  ready  to 
defend  all  Americans  at  any  moment,  they  felt  that  we 
had  saved  them  from  a  great  danger,  and  they  were 
enthusiastically  grateful  for  it.  The  people  of  the  east 
ern  states  had  no  occasion  for  such  a  feeling,  because 
no  such  danger,  real  or  imaginary,  ever  threatened 
them. 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  people  of  the  Pacific  coast 
was  caused  by  many  things  combined,  but  the  chief  rea 
son  for  it  was,  I  think,  that  they  fully  realised  for  the 
first  time  that  they  were  as  much  a  part  of  the  United 
States  as  was  any  other  section  of  the  country,  and  that 
the  power  of  a  great  government  would,  when  neces- 
3°  453 


An  Admiral's  Log 

sary,  be  exerted  in  their  behalf.  The  feeling  of  broth 
erhood  which  this  brought  caused  them  to  swell  with 
patriotism  and  to  cheer  for  the  men  who  wore  the 
national  uniform. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  was  serious  danger  of 
trouble  with  Japan  until  the  President  took  the  positive 
action  he  did  to  control  the  threatened  legislative  action 
of  some  of  the  Pacific  coast  states.  Japan  would  never, 
in  my  opinion,  have  declared  war  on  us  until  every 
peaceful  means  had  been  exhausted  to  redress  the 
wrongs  complained  of  by  her  citizens,  but  that  she  had 
strong  provocation  no  reasonable  man  can  deny. 
While  the  people  of  California  have  a  right,  which  no 
one  can  question,  to  regulate  their  schools  as  they  see 
fit,  it  must  at  the  same  time  be  evident  that  they  have 
not  the  right  to  do  anything  that  will  interfere  with 
the  treaty  rights  given  the  Japanese  by  the  United 
States  government,  and  this  is  just  what  was  threat 
ened,  if  not  actually  done.  Few  foreign  governments, 
or  I  should  say  the  people  of  few  foreign  countries,  un 
derstand  our  state  rights  under  the  general  govern 
ment.  This  was  clearly  shown  a  few  years  ago  when 
a  number  of  Italian  citizens  were  executed  in  New  Or 
leans.  Sooner  or  later  this  same  thing  will  cause  seri 
ous  trouble  with  Japan  unless  the  rights  of  her  citizens 
are  more  carefully  observed  in  our  western  states.  A 
proud  and  sensitive  nation,  flushed  with  victory  in  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  wars  of  modern  times,  cannot 
be  expected  to  have  her  citizens  classed  as  inferior 
to  those  of  other  countries  and  treated  as  such.  Yet 
this  is  what  was  proposed  to  be  done  on  the  Pacific 
coast. 

454 


Trade  Problems  of  the  Pacific 

If  we  as  a  nation  are  prepared  to  take  the  conse 
quences,  the  surest  remedy  for  the  threatened  trouble 
would  be  to  forbid  the  entry  of  any  Japanese  into  the 
United  States,  but  this  would  be  such  a  barbarous  out 
rage  toward  a  people  for  whom  we  are  in  such  a 
marked  way  responsible  that  I  think  no  one  will  enter 
tain  the  idea  for  a  moment.  Our  relations  with  Japan 
have  always  been  so  friendly  and  our  commerce  with 
her  so  important  that  some  other  remedy  must  be 
found.  We  must  not  demand  from  her  any  rights  for 
our  citizens  which  we  are  not  in  turn  willing  to  accord 
to  hers.  We  always  face  a  commercial  struggle  with 
her,  as  well  as  with  others,  for  the  control  of  the  trade 
of  the  Pacific,  and  this  contest  will  grow  more  and 
more  bitter  as  time  goes  on.  When  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  grants  a  subsidy  to  American  mer 
chant  ships,  which  it  certainly  must  do  some  day,  and 
American  vessels  begin  to  compete  with  the  subsidised 
ships  of  other  nations  for  the  trade  of  the  Pacific,  the 
situation  with  Japan  will  become  delicate  and  acute, 
and  it  will  require  real  statesmanship  on  both  sides  to 
prevent  serious  trouble.  It  seems  to  be  the  general 
feeling  that  friction  with  Japan  alone  is  probable  over 
the  question  of  trade  control  in  the  Pacific,  but  this 
does  not  seem  reasonable  to  me.  The  Germans  are 
making  tremendous  efforts  to  increase  their  carrying 
trade,  not  only  in  the  waters  bordering  their  own  coun 
try,  but  all  over  the  world,  and  in  considering  the 
trade  problems  of  the  Pacific  we  must  remember  that 
Germany  has  two  colonies  in  that  ocean — one  at  Samoa 
and  the  other  in  the  Caroline  Islands — and  that  the  ad 
vantage  she  thus  has  will  not  be  abandoned  without  a 

455 


An  Admiral's  Log 

bitter  struggle.  Friction  with  her  is,  therefore,  quite 
as  likely  as  with  Japan. 

After  a  comfortable  passage  across  the  continent  I 
arrived  at  my  home  in  Washington,  where  the  doctors 
took  a  look  at  me  and  decided  that  I  should  go  on  leave 
for  a  few  months  to  regain  my  health.  I  had  lived  too 
long  in  a  steel  box,  and  it  would  take  time  to  restore 
what  I  had  lost.  Lake  Mohonk,  in  New  York  State, 
seemed  to  offer  just  what  I  was  looking  for — rest, 
quiet,  and  good  bracing  air.  When  my  leave  had  been 
granted  I  made  my  plan  to  spend  the  summer  in  that 
delightful  place. 

I  called  on  the  President  to  pay  my  respects,  and 
was  most  cordially  greeted.  Mr.  Roosevelt  assured  me 
that  he  had  done  everything  in  his  power  to  have  me 
made  a  vice-admiral,  but  that  he  had  failed  because  of 
the  opposition  of  two  members  of  the  Senate  naval  com 
mittee.  I  assured  him  that,  while  I  should  have  con 
sidered  it  a  great  honour  to  be  commissioned  a  vice- 
admiral,  I  was  not  disappointed  at  not  securing  the 
honour,  as  I  had  never  expected  it.  There  had  been 
much  talk  before  I  sailed  from  Hampton  Roads  that  I 
would  be  advanced  in  rank  before  reaching  San  Fran 
cisco,  but  I  knew  the  members  of  the  Senate  naval 
committee,  at  least  some  of  them,  and  I  knew  also  the 
peculiar  influence  that  would  prevent  the  creation  of 
the  grade  of  vice-admiral,  and  I  felt  confident  that  the 
honour  would  never  come  to  me.  Therefore  I  was  not 
surprised  that  the  efforts  of  the  President  had  failed. 

Admiral  Dewey  thought  that  I  might  be  of  service 
in  connection  with  the  general  board,  and  I  was  ac 
cordingly  ordered  to  that  duty,  where  I  served  until 

45°" 


August  1 8th,  1909 

my  leave  was  granted,  when  I  left  Washington  and 
spent  the  summer  at  Lake  Mohonk.  As  the  time  for 
my  retirement  drew  near — August  i8th — the  guests  of 
the  Lake  Mohonk  Mountain  House  decided  to  present 
me  with  a  loving  cup,  which  was  done  with  touching 
ceremonies.  I  was  profoundly  touched  by  this  expres 
sion  of  feeling  on  the  part  of  so  many  of  my  country 
men,  and  in  my  leisure  moments  on  the  retired  list  I 
shall  recall  with  pleasure  their  kindly  words  of  ap 
proval. 

In  the  meantime  I  shall  always  hold  myself  in  read 
iness  to  serve  my  country,  should  the  occasion  arise, 
either  on  the  retired  list  or  again  in  active  service  if 
that  should  be  demanded  of  me.  For  forty-eight  years 
my  life  has  been  at  the  call  of  the  flag  I  love,  and  it  will 
remain  so  as  long  as  I  live. 


INDEX 


Aguinaldo,  206. 
Alexieff,  Admiral,  159. 
Alligator  pears,  93. 
American  flag  in  Pekin,  257. 
American-China  Development  Com 
pany,  191. 
Americanism  in  Boston  and  the  West, 

63- 
Americans,     attitude     of    Filipinos 

toward,  222. 
in  the  navy,  345. 
Amoy,  regatta  at,  200. 
Annapolis,  Prince  Henry  in,  72. 
Annapolis,  the,  strikes  a  reef,  218. 
Arethusa,    water    ship    on    Pacific 

cruise,  410. 
Argentine  cruisers  meet  Pacific  Fleet, 

432- 

Argyle,  race  in  Hampton  Roads  won 
by,  361. 

Army  and  Navy  Club  at  Manila,  301. 

Asiatic  station,  Admiral  Evans  as 
sumes  command  of,  195. 

Barker,  Rear-Admiral,  relieved  of 
his  command,  317. 

Barnstable,  trouble  at,  349. 

Battenberg,  Prince  Louis  of.  See 
Prince  Louis  of  Batten- 
berg. 

Battenberg  cup,  name  of  Argyle  in 
scribed  on,  361. 


Battenberg  cup,  presented  to  Amer 
ican  squadron,  361. 
raced  for,  365. 

Battle  practice,  396. 

Battle  target  practice,  400. 

Baudissin,  Admiral  Count,  280. 

Bishop  of  Virginia,  385. 

Bliss  Company  of  Brooklyn,  323. 

Boyd,  Mr.,  27. 

Boynton,  General,  47. 

Bridge,  Vice-Admiral  Sir  Cyprian 
A.  C.,  202. 

Bristol,  Lieutenant  -  Commander 
Mark,  318,  323. 

Britannia  at  Coney  Island,  357. 

Brittain,  Lieutenant  -  Commander 
Carlos  B.,  131,  132,  135,  144, 
318,  382. 

Brownson,  Rear-Admiral,  354,  363, 

413- 

Buck,  Mr.,  107. 

Buenos  Ayres,  visited  by  torpedo- 
boat  flotilla,  431. 

Bunce,  Rear-Admiral  Francis  M., 
129,  130. 

Bungao,  238. 

Bureau  of  Supplies  and  Accounts, 
408. 

Cambridge,  Prince  Henry  at,  60. 
Camp  Vickars,  229. 
Canton-Hankow  railway,  192. 


459 


An  Admiral's  Log 


Cape  Cod  Bay,  target  range  in,  347, 

352- 
Cape  Cruz,  335. 

target  range  at,  337. 
Cape  Henry,  353. 
Carter,  Governor,  292. 
Cava  cava,  15. 
Cavite",  205. 

case  of  contractor  in,  226. 
Chacabuco,  as  escort  to  Pacific  Fleet, 

437- 
dinners  on  board,  in  honour   of 

Pacific  Fleet,  435. 
meets    Pacific    Fleet    off     Punta 

Arenas,  433. 
Chandler,  Lieutenant  -  Commander 

Lloyd,  382,  445. 

Chapin,  Lieutenant,  84, 132,135, 144. 
Chattanooga,  Prince  Henry  at,  47. 
Chefoo,  140. 
survey  at,  270. 
target  practice  at,  269. 
typhoon  at,  271. 
Chemulpo,  a  neutral  port,  306. 

invitation  for  squadron  to  visit,  158. 
Cheng-Chi-Tung,  186,  263,  264. 

during  Boxer  War,  186. 
Chesapeake  Bay,  defence  of,  100. 
Chicago,  Prince  Henry  in,  50. 
ball  and  reception  to,  53. 
China  Inland  Mission  School,  Asiat 
ic  cholera  in,  142. 
Chinese  crew  of  the  Gaelic,  87. 
Cholera  in  the  Philippines,  208. 
Christians,  over-zealous,  350. 
Christmas,  in  the  West  Indies,  331. 

observed  by  Pacific  Fleet,  417. 
Chung,  Prince,  263. 
Coal  mines  in  China,  118. 
Coast  defences,  lack  of,  in  United 
States,  101. 


bllins,  Captain,  in  Civil  War,  278. 
Colombo,  coaling  at,  308. 

jewel  shops  in,  309. 
Columbia  at  Coney  Island,  357. 
Coney   Island,    health   of   King   of 

England  drunk  at,  358. 
health    of    President    of    United 

States  drunk  at,  358. 
men  of  English  squadron  enter 
tained  at,  357. 
Conger,  Mr.,  265. 

dinner  given  by,  263. 
Connecticut,  dinners  on,  388. 
Constantinople,  116. 
Converse,  Rear-Admiral,  30,  393. 
Cooper,  Rear-Admiral,  assumes  com 
mand  of  station  at  Manila, 

307- 
in  command  of  cruiser  division, 

279,  286. 

sent  to  Shanghai,  303. 
Couden,  Captain,  198,  216. 
Crosley,  Lieutenant,  318. 
Crown  Prince  of  Korea,  166. 
Culebra,  329,  340,  341. 

advantages  of,  330. 
Customs  collector  at  Honolulu,  288. 
Customs    department,    annoyances 

from,  225. 
energy  of,  225. 

Dalny,  116,  159. 

civil  governor  of,  160. 

military  governor  of,  160. 

visionary  scheme  of,  161. 
Dancing  girls  in  Korea,  167. 
d'Arco  Valley,  Count,  106. 
Davis,  General  George  W.,  220,  299. 
Davis,  Rear-Admiral  C.  H.,  331, 339. 
at  Kingston,  368,  369. 
sent  to  Kingston,  367. 


460 


Index 


Desino,  General,  268. 
Deutscher  Verein,  33. 
Deutschland,  76. 

Prince  Henry's  farewell  dinner  on, 

79- 

Dewey,  Admiral,  456. 
Dinner  uniform,  order  for,  199. 
Drake,  ball  given  on,  360. 
Drills  at  Kobe,  280. 
in  Subig  Bay,  213. 
Duckshooting  in  Japan,  283. 
Duke  of  Abruzzi,  reception  given  by, 

389. 

Emperor  of  Germany,  action  of,  in 
the  East,  117. 

and  Prince  Henry's  reception  in 

United  States,  78. 
Emperor  of  Japan,  105,  107. 
Emperor  of  Korea,  165. 
Empress  Dowager  of  China,  255. 

audience  with,  260,  261. 

gifts  from,  273. 
Empress  of  Japan,  109. 
English  Naval  Reserve,  officers  of, 

88. 

English  squadron  at  Annapolis,  354. 
Erie,  grape  cultivation  about,  57. 
Erin,  312. 
Evans,  Lieutenant  F.  T.,  84,  201. 

Filipinos,  attitude  of,  toward  Ameri 
cans,  222. 

distrust  of,  toward  Americans,  22  r. 

in  church  matters,  299. 
Finch,  Captain,  87. 
Firemen  on  Pacific  Fleet,  423. 
Fish,  preparation  of,  in  Hawaii,  92. 
Formosa,  202. 
Fort  Vickars,  230. 
Fowler,  Mr.,  141. 


France,  President  of,  312. 
Francis,  Governor,  44. 
Fruits  of  Hawaiian  Islands,  92. 
Fusan,  168. 

Gaelic,  the,  of  the  O.  and  O.  Com 
pany,  86. 
officers  of,  88. 

German  consideration  for  Americans, 
279. 

German  missionary,  murder  of,  114. 

German  navy,  changing  of  crews  in, 
121. 

German  troops  in  China,  250. 

Germany,    Emperor  of.     See    Em 
peror  of  Germany. 

Gherardi,  Lieutenant  W.  R.,  355. 

Gibraltar,  314. 

Gillett,  Governor,  receives  Admiral 
Thomas  at  San  Diego,  447. 

Graeme,  Lieutenant,  374. 

Grant,   General   F.   D.,   at   James 
town  Exposition,  384. 

Grape  cultivation  about  Erie,  57. 

Guam,  governor  of,  297. 
harbour  at,  296. 
inhabitants  of,  297. 

Guantanamo,  332,  340,  341. 

Guavas,  93. 

Guest,  Past  Assistant  Surgeon,  143. 

Guidi,  Monsignore,  299. 

Gun  sights,  open  bar,  126. 

Hai  Chi,  137. 
Hakodate,  175. 

historical  interest  of,  176. 
Hampton  Institute,  singers  from,  70. 
Hampton  Roads,  381. 
Hankow,  182. 
Harrison,  Mayor,  52. 
Hart,  Dr.,  1-89. 


461 


An  Admiral's  Log 


Harvard  University,  60. 
Hawaii,  labour  problem  in,  20. 
preparation  of  fish  in,  92. 
sugar  industry  in,  22. 
Hawaiian  Islands,  fruits  of,  92. 

trip  to,  89. 
Hay,  John,  Secretary  of  State,  83. 

in  Villalobos  affair,  278. 
Helena,  the,  182,  203,  247. 
at  Newchwang,  302,  303. 
relieved   from   her   position   at 

Newchwang,  304. 
Hohenzollern,    arrival   of,    in   New 

York  harbour,  30. 
Hong  Kong,  242. 

fortification  of,  115. 
Honolulu,  90. 

departure    of    Asiatic    Squadron 

from,  293. 

hospitality  in,  94,  292. 
orders  to,  281. 

Hudgins,  Lieutenant,  death  of,  374. 
Hughes,  Commander,  217,  218. 
Huntington,  Rev.  Mr.,  184. 

Ichang,  184. 

Ingersoll,  Capt.  R.  R.,  191,  393. 

Inspector  of  a  district,  80. 

Insurrectos,  206. 

Iron  Steamboat  Company,  357. 

Jackson,  Sir  Henry,  417. 
Jamestown    Exposition,    arrival    of 
visiting  fleets  at,  383. 

opening  of,  384. 

preparation  for,  380. 

progress  of,  387. 
Japan,  Emperor  of,  105,  107. 

Empress  of,  109. 
Japanese  crews,  103. 
Japanese  labour,  21. 


Japanese  thoroughness,  176. 
Japanese  torpedo  boats,  attack  of, 

on  Russian  fleet,  306. 
Jesselton,  240. 
Jol6,  236. 
Jones,     John    Paul,     remains 


of, 


brought  to  America,  353. 


Kandy,  a  trip  to,  308. 
Kaneko,  Baron,  283. 
Karmany,  Major,  207,  212. 
Kearsarge,  accident  on,  372. 
Kennedy,  Captain  Duncan,  371. 
Kentucky,  people  of,  48. 
Kentucky,  the,  113,  131,  134,  135, 
138,  247- 

firing  from,  214. 

visited  by  King  of  Italy,  312. 
Kingston,  earthquake  at,  366. 
Kioto,  245. 
Kobe,  drills  at,  280. 
Korea,  Crown  Prince  of,  165. 

Emperor  of,  165. 
Koritz,  burning  of,  306. 

"Laais,"  93. 

Labour  problem  in  Hawaii,  20. 

Lake  Linao,  231. 

Langley,  Mr.,  181. 

Lighthouse  Board,  316. 

part  of  Treasury  Department,  81. 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  52. 
Lipton,  Sir  Thomas,  308. 
Loeb,  Secretary,  413. 
Low,  Mayor  Seth,  32,  38,  70. 
Lui-Kun-Yu,  death  of,  186. 


Mackaroff,  175. 
Madeira,  coaling  at,  314. 
Magdalena  Bay,  mail  received  at, 

444. 

strategic  value  of,  442. 
462 


Index 


Maine,  the,  as  flagship,  320. 

consumption  of  coal  by,  422. 
in  the  North  River,  356. 
Malabang,  234. 

army  post  at,  229. 
Malacca,    Straits    of,    torpedo-boat 

destroyers  in,  307. 
Manila,  American  flag  in,  206. 
conditions  in,  208. 
trip  to,  from  Guam,  298. 
Manila  Bay,  210,  340. 
Manzanillo,  336. 
Marshal,  Admiral,  142,  172. 
Marines  at  the  siege  of  Pekin,  254. 
Marsh,  Lieutenant-Commander,  180. 
Martino,  313. 

Mason,  Rear-Admiral,  323. 
Massampho,  168. 

Mayflower,  leads  fleet  out  of  Hamp 
ton  Roads,  414. 

McLean,    Lieutenant  -  Commander 
Ridley,   131,  132,   135,   144, 

iS7»  3l8»  44i. 

Menemsha  Bight,  target  practice  in, 
346. 

Merritt,  Assistant  Paymaster  William 
A.,  158. 

Messina,  310. 

Metcalf,    Secretary    of    Lighthouse 
Board,  316. 

Meteor,  the,  launching  of,  36. 

Milwaukee,  breweries  of,  56. 
Prince  Henry  in,  55. 

Ministers,  attitude  of,  toward  Sun 
day  recreation,  350. 

Missouri,     the,     at      Guantanamo, 

334- 

Monocacy,  the,  155. 
Morgan,  J.  P.,  69. 
Moros,  trouble  with,  219. 
vitality  of,  235. 


Morton,    Mr.    Paul,    Secretary    of 

the  Navy,  317. 
Miinsterberg,  Professor,  61. 

Nagasaki,  169. 

repairs  at,  279. 

Russian  squadron  at,  243. 
Nagoya,  245. 
Nanking,  189. 

harbour  of,  190. 

Naval   Academy,    entertainment    of 
English  squadron  at,  356. 

remains  of  John  Paul  Jones  taken 

to>  353- 
Naval  officers,  government  provision 

for,  407. 
Naval     Secretary     of     Lighthouse 

Board,  80. 

Navy  yards,  conditions  in,  402. 
Neptune  visits  Pacific  Fleet,  419. 
New  Orleans,  the,  112,  113,  135. 
firing  from,  214. 
inspection  of,  134. 
New  York  City,  reception  of  English 

squadron  by,  356. 
Newbeny,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 

Navy,  402. 

Newchwang,  gunboat  at,  153,  303. 
Niagara    Falls,    Prince    Henry    at, 

57- 

Ninth  Infantry  at  Pekin,  254. 
North  Borneo,  239. 
Northern     Squadron     proceeds    to 

Amoy,  196. 

Oliva,  Admiral,  432. 


Olongapo,  340. 

coal  depot  at,  302. 

importance  of,  301. 
Oneida,  United  States  sloop-of-war, 
99. 

463 


An  Admiral's  Log 


Oregon,  the,  268. 
Oyama,  General,  no. 

Pacific  cruise,  consultation  on,  394. 

illness  on,  415. 

preparations  for,  395. 

publicly  announced,  393. 

route  of,  394. 

rumours  of,  392. 

start  of,  415. 

supplies  for,  406. 

Pacific    Fleet,    anchored   near   Los 
Angeles,  447. 

at  Port-of-Spain,  417. 

behaviour  of  men  of,  418. 

at  Punta  Arenas,  433. 

at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  428. 

at  San  Diego,  447. 

freedom  of  city  given  to,  447. 

at  the  "Line,"  419. 

at  Valparaiso,  438. 

at  West  Indies,  416. 

Christmas  observed  by,  417. 

departure  of,  from  Rio  de  Janeiro, 

431- 

firemen  on,  423. 

in  harbour  of  San  Francisco,  448. 

in  Magdalena  Bay,  441. 

welcomed    by    lieutenant  -  gov 
ernor,  443. 

invited  to  visit  Valparaiso,  437. 

mail  received  by,  at  Rio  de  Janeiro, 

430- 

met  by  Argentine  cruisers,  432. 
passes  through  Straits  of  Magellan, 

436- 
reception  of,  at  Los  Angeles,  446. 

by  Peruvians,  439,  440. 
reviewed  by   President  of  Chile, 

439- 
by  President  Penna,  431. 


Pacific  Fleet,  visited  by  Father  Nep 
tune,  419. 
Pago  Pago,  n,  24. 
Palace  Hotel,  San  Francisco,  86. 
Panama  Canal,  282. 
Papaya,  93. 
Pearl  Harbour,  23. 
Pekin,  252. 

American  flag  in,  257. 

gate  of,  258. 

looting  of,  257. 

siege  of,  255. 
Penna,    President,    reviews    Pacific 

Fleet,  431. 
Pensacola,  squadron  leaves,  325. 

target  practice  at,  319. 
Pershing,  Captain,  232. 
Philadelphia,  Prince  Henry  in,  72. 
Pigeon  Cove,  mines  in,  269. 
Pillsbury,  Captain  J.  E.,  318,  347, 

393- 

chart  of  Hampton  Roads  pre 
pared  by,  382. 

"Ping-pong  machine,"  133, 134, 199. 

Plessen,  General  von,  47. 

Plover,  96. 

Point  Loma  wireless  station,  444. 

Poles  in    Chicago   packing  houses, 

54- 

Port  Arthur,  115,  159. 
defences  of,  269. 
hostilities  at,  306. 

Poyang  Lake  district,  trouble  for 
merchants  and  missionaries 
in,  275. 

President  of  France,  312. 
President  Roosevelt,  81,  in. 

at    Jamestown    Exposition,    384, 

386. 

at  target  practice,  376,  377. 
congratulates  Admiral  Evans,  450. 


464 


Index 


President  Roosevelt,   desire   of,   to   Punta  Arenas,  description  of,  434. 


see  Admiral  Evans  made  vice- 
admiral,  456. 

determination  of,  393. 

dines  with  crew  of  the  Missouri, 

379- 
message  from  Japanese  minister 

to,  282. 
reviews  fleet  before  it  starts  on 

Pacific  cruise,  412. 
Press  Club,  Prince  Henry  the  guest 

of,  69. 

Prince  David,  91. 
Prince  Henry  of  Prussia,  arrival  of, 

in  New  York,  30. 
at  Annapolis,  72. 
at  Cambridge,  60. 
at  Chattanooga,  47. 
at  Lincoln's  tomb,  52. 
at  Niagara  Falls,  57. 
at  the  University  Club,  67. 
at  West  Point,  72. 
entertained  by  Admiral  Evans,  76. 
farewell  dinner  of,  79. 
freedom  of  the  city  of  New  York 

presented  to,  37,  38. 
guest  of  the  Press  Club,  69. 
in  Chicago,  50. 
in  China,  117. 
in  Milwaukee,  55. 
in  Philadelphia,  72. 
in  St.  Louis,  44. 
in  the  West,  41. 

meeting  of,  with  President  Roose 
velt,  34. 
reception  of,  by  German  societies, 

33- 

visit  of,  to  Congress,  35. 
Prince  Louis  of  Battenberg,  354. 

and  the  dentist,  360. 
Princess  Irene  in  China,  117. 


growth  of,  435. 

Railroad  from  Canton  to  Hankow, 

192. 

to  Tientsin,  248. 
Rainmaker,  n. 
Rajah  Brooke,  241. 
Red  Sea,  310. 
Regatta  at  Amoy,  200. 
Regina  Margarita,  the,  312. 
Repair  ship  to  accompany  fleet  on 

Pacific  cruise,  409. 
Repairs  to  ships,  326. 
Rifle  ranges  at  Tsingtao,  120. 
Rodgers,    Rear-Admiral    Frederick, 

82,  104. 
Roosevelt,  Miss  Alice,  christening  of 

Meteor  by,  36. 
Roosevelt,  President.    See  President 

Roosevelt. 
Rose,  Mayor,  55. 
Russian  fleet,  attacked  by  Japanese 

torpedo  boats,  306. 
Russian  forces  in  Manchuria,  report 

on,  266. 
Russian -French  Alliance,  174. 

Sah,  Captain,  137. 

St.  Louis,  Prince  Henry  in,  44. 

Samoa,  natives  of,  12. 

warriors  of,  15. 
Sampson,  Admiral,  plan  of  mounting 

guns  devised  by,  141. 
Sampson-Schley   controversy,  court 

of  inquiry  in,  2. 
opinion  of,  3. 
recommendation  of,  5. 
Sandaken,  239,  240,  241. 
San  Francisco  earthquake,  338. 
Schwab,  Charles  M.,  69. 


465 


An  Admiral's  Log 


Scott,  Admiral  Sir  Percy,  136. 
Sears,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Montgomery, 

64- 

Seoul,  163. 
"Shameen,"  203. 
Shanghai,  303. 
Shaw  memorial  tablet,  62. 
Siassi,  237. 

Sigsbee,  Admiral,  354. 
Simpson,  Admiral,  dinner  given  by, 

to  officers  of  Pacific  Fleet,  435. 

Pacific  Fleet  welcomed  by,  434. 

Sims,  Lieutenant  William  S.,   136, 

137- 

Singapore,  241,  242. 

Skrydloff,  Admiral,  172,  175. 

Smythe's  Channel,  survey  of,  436. 

Sperry,  Rear-Admiral  C.  S.,  134. 

Stark,  Admiral,  173. 

State  House  of  Massachusetts,  62. 

Steamship  traffic  in  the  Pacific, 
103. 

Sterling,  Rear-Admiral  Yates,  suc 
ceeds  to  command  of  cruiser 
division,  307. 

Stockton,  Captain,  211. 

Subig  Bay,  practice  drills  in,  210. 

Subsidy  to  American  merchant  ships, 

455- 

Sugar  industry  in  Hawaii,  22. 

Sunday  recreation,  349. 

attitude  of  Massachusetts  legisla 
ture  toward,  351. 

Swettenham,  Governor,  367. 

Taft,  Governor,  207,  299. 

ability  of,  224. 

Taku,  gunboat  maintained  at,  153. 
Taku  bar,  247. 

Target  practice  at  Chefoo,  269. 
at  Guantanamo,  333. 


Target  practice,  in  Magdalena  Bay, 

441. 
won  by  North  Atlantic  Squadron, 

37i- 
Target  range  at  Cape  Cruz,  337. 

in  Cape  Cod  Bay,  347,  352. 
Taussig,  Commander,  294. 
Tawi-Tawi  Islands,  220,  237. 
Thomas,  Admiral,  428,  446. 
Tientsin,  248. 

Tirpitz,  Admiral  von,  42,  68. 
Togo,  Admiral,  169. 
Torpedo-boat  test,  214,  215. 
Torpedo  practice,  order  for,  197. 
Trade    problems    of    the     Pacific, 

455- 

Trans-Siberian  Railroad,  162. 
Tsingtao,  113,  117. 
Typhoon  at  Chefoo,  271. 

United  States  Marine  Corps,  206. 
University  Club,   Prince  Henry  at, 

67. 
Prince     Henry     entertained     by 

Admiral  Evans  at,  76. 
University  men  of  America,  68. 

Variag,    the,    in    Japanese-Russian 

War,  305. 
sinking  of,  306. 
Viceroy  at  Canton,  204. 
Vicksburg,  the,  at  Chemulpo,  302. 
Villalobos,  the,  in  Poyang  Lake  dis 
trict,  275. 

report  to  Navy  Department  con 
cerning,  277. 

Vladivostock,  115,  170.       ., 
reception  of  squadron  at,  170. 


Wakes  Island,  293. 
Wallace,  Colonel,  237. 


466 


Index 


War  College,  326. 

plans  of,  tested,  370. 
Washington,  Booker  T.,  70,  233. 
West  Indies,  trip  to,  328. 
West  Point,  Prince  Henry  at,  72. 
Whipple,  the,  at  Kingston,  367. 
"White  Messengers  of  Peace,"  427. 
WTilkes,    Captain,     in     Civil    War, 

278. 
Wilkie,    Chief,    of    Secret    Service, 

28. 
Wireless  message  off  Cape  Virgin, 

433- 

Wireless  messages  to  and  from  Ar 
gentine  Republic,  432. 


Wives  of  officers,  271. 
Wuchang,  185. 
Wuhu,  189. 
Wusung,  178. 

Yale  football  player  in  Honolulu,  293. 
Yamamoto,     Vice-Admiral     Baron, 

no. 
Yellow,   the   royal   Chinese  colour, 

258- 

Yokohama,  99. 
changes  in,  102. 
docking  ships  at,  281. 

Zafiro,  the,  227,  241. 


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